Magical Girl Was Defeated by Tentacles. (4)

“ChuChu!! Where are you?!”

“I clearly saw her even getting on the elevator..! I even saw her go all the way up to the Staff Dormitory floor~!”

After joining Soo-ah, who was delayed by getting information about a man called 『Onmyoji』 among the Seven Stars, two hours had passed searching inside the Black Rose, but ChuChu was nowhere to be seen.

Wondering if she might have gone outside, Ma-chan asked the entrance guard, but he said he hadn’t seen anyone who looked like staff leave, and even when Soo-ah tried to find ChuChu’s Magical Power traces, she couldn’t.

“They said they haven’t seen ChuChu in other booths either. She wouldn’t have gone to the basement either…”

“Where on earth did she go…! Ma-chan, was there anything strange when ChuChu got on the elevator?”

“Hmm… It seemed the same as usual.”

It doesn’t seem like something Ma-chan would do…

As if she had vanished from this world… ChuChu’s figure couldn’t be found in the Black Rose.

With no other choice, they went to the security office and reviewed the recorded footage, where they found ChuChu drenched in sweat.

It seemed the photoshoot was quite hot, as she fanned her collar, trying to cool herself down…

“…Wait.”

Exactly.

At the exact same time ChuChu exited the elevator, she wasn’t visible in the footage captured by the Staff Dormitory hallway camera.

At the boundary between the 19th floor, the Staff Dormitory, and the elevator door, the moment she took a single step out, not even fully exiting, ChuChu’s figure vanished in an instant.

“What on earth is this…”

“It doesn’t seem like magic. It feels like something else.”

And to call it a composite was too crude.

While they were racking their brains, Ma-chan seemed to recall something and clapped her hands.

“Oh, when we were about to arrive on the 19th floor, the number display above the button suddenly crackled.”

When arriving… Now that I think about it, in the elevator’s internal footage too, when ChuChu exited, the screen seemed to have severe noise…

Is it a coincidence? Or is it a scheme concocted by someone…?

“….Ma-chan, besides 『Onmyoji』, who was the other Seven Star who visited today?”

If she still hasn’t appeared after all this searching, it’s not that she left or got lost; we must consider another possibility…

Just as Ma-chan came to me and said it was an emergency, it might be a scheme orchestrated by the Seven Stars, the seven most powerful monsters among the Klaus.

“Uh, huh…? It’s 『Knight』 Haster. She’s a bit peculiar, but a cute child in the form of a girl with charming shark teeth.”

“Are you crazy? Ma-chan is probably the only living being in the world who can look at 『Knight』-nim’s face… Ugh..!”

Unlike Ma-chan, who spoke highly of 『Knight』, the monster guarding the security office shook his head with a look of disgust.

Furthermore, just by imagining the appearance he’d seen in a photo, he covered his mouth as if about to vomit… expressing his fear of 『Knight』.

“Cough… I’m sorry. If the new child named ChuChu has caught 『Knight』-nim’s eye… it’s over. The rumors about that person are so terrifying.”

Giant Octopus.

The worst of the Seven Stars, or an anomalous being.

A monster wearing a Klaus mask.

The King in Yellow……. All were epithets referring to 『Knight』.

***

“You…who are you.”

“Oh myyy… What are you sayinggg… It’s Seri, you know, Lee Seriii… Hehe!”

“Don’t lie. You… are not Seri.”

The drawn-out way of speaking, trailing off at the end of sentences, the hair that swayed every time she walked with her neck relaxed.

First, Seri had promised to call me ‘sunbae-nim’ when we were alone, and Ma-chan had gone down to announce the results of [Today’s Bunny Girl], so Seri couldn’t have finished earlier than me.

More than anything… different from Seri’s Magical Power, a disgusting Magical Power that made me feel sick and twisted inside approached from the ‘thing’ that looked like Seri in front of me, and from all directions, closing in as if to choke me.

“I went to all this trouble to change into the form of a female you likeee… Don’t you like it?”

“【Purify, oh Light..!】”

As soon as the incantation ended, a pure white flash dyed the room white.

After instantly donning pure white armor… a battle suit, I aimed my hammer at Seri and fired a beam of purification light.

There was no damage. It was simply light for purification.

I considered the possibility that a monster was disguised, but I couldn’t rule out the possibility that Seri had been caught by the brainwashing camera she mentioned and was being controlled, so I first shot the light of purification.

The monster hit by the light flinched as if surprised, but realizing there was no damage, it smiled brightly, a grin stretching from ear to ear.

…It was a fake, after all.

“Answer me, what did you do to Seri?”

“Your way of speaking has gotten even more arousinggg… I like both~.”

“My next attack won’t be as gentle as this one. Answer me if you don’t want to get hurt.”

“Are you worried about meee~? I’m happy, so happy~ ChuChu~. As expected of a Magical Girl who hasn’t killed a single one.”

“Sh-shut up..!”

Although I had been active as a Magical Girl for the longest time among the team, I hadn’t killed a single monster.

I rarely used aggressive magic properly, and even 『Rogue Monsters』 who attacked citizens were only subdued.

“Ah~ are you perhaps worried that I’ve taken a female hostage, and that’s why you can’t attackkk?”

…I know I’m soft. Wanting to resolve things peacefully with aliens who invade Earth and consider humans as reserve slaves… I’m pathetic.

“Don’t worryyy~ this female is currently looking for you with Ma-chan~. Since this is a place I made, they won’t be able to find it, but~.”

“Then let me out right now. I don’t want to hurt you.”

“Pfft, Aha… Ahahaha… Ahahahahahahaha!!”

Scoffing like a madwoman, Seri’s body simultaneously began to melt and dissolve.

As the flesh that formed her upper body fell off like clay kneaded in water, the monster’s true form gradually revealed itself, but because she was wearing a hood, her face couldn’t be properly identified, so I could only guess that she was a girl of similar height to me.

The only part I could barely see was her sharp, pointed teeth. Unlike human teeth, they looked sharp, but they were arranged neatly without being crooked.

A girl… though she was still a monster.

“You’re talking as if I… can’t reach youuu~?”

“..Gasp?!”

“Gentleness can also be arroganceee… Your passive side is nice, but~ ChuChu, I think you’d be good even if you were more aggressiveee~.”

Shluruk-!! Shlurururuk-!!

The tightly closed shower room door rattled open, and octopus-shaped tentacles stretched out.

Not only that, from the drawers, the refrigerator, even the dormitory room door I entered through… they fiercely rushed towards me from all directions.

“Because you’ve never truly been hurt, because you’ve never died, because you’ve never been wounded by anyone, because you know you’re strong, you don’t care whether fools weaker than you live or die, do youuu…?”

While the girl spread her arms, looked at the sky, and spouted nonsense, I had no time to answer.

Even though the tentacles were thicker than the spears I’d seen while sparring with Mera, their speed was faster than spears.

The 『Brand of the Devil』 stamped on Seri’s lower abdomen, a disturbing Magical Power felt even more intensely than that… if it touched my body even once, I didn’t know what Negative Skill would be bestowed.

“【Oh Light that illuminates the darkness, here, str─Gasp..!”

“If Doman finds me, it’ll be annoying~. I’ll catch you quicklyyy~.”

Not even a short moment to chant was allowed.

The walls of the luxurious dormitory room collapsed, and tentacles, horrifying just to look at, intertwined and *kkulleok*-ed, swinging around like construction cranes.

『Aphrodisiac Poisoning (Medium) status is activated.』

『Physical sensitivity dramatically increases. Estrus probability increases based on the amount injected into the body.』

“Hwaat..?”

Despite the urgent situation, a strangely sweet scent wafted, and my thoughts broke off.

Even though I wasn’t tired, my legs trembled, and my head felt light, making it impossible to focus.

‘Is it poison…? Or is it an aphrodisiac?’

‘Whatever it is, it’s fine… I’ll end it in one go..!’

As a monster who created such a space, it must be an extraordinary being. I must even consider the possibility that it’s one of the Seven Stars.

Whether the tentacles belonged to the girl, or if the tentacles were the girl herself, I didn’t know, but this was no longer a situation for hesitation.

If the tentacles were the main body… then that form was merely a shell in human shape.

『Paladin’s Will LV 5 is activated.』

『Various status ailments (poison, paralysis, forced sleep, frostbite, estrus, etc.) are nullified.』

『Heavenly Shield LV 3 is activated.』

『You are not affected by magic that hinders actions.』

『Health Recovery LV9 is activated.』

『Consumes Magical Power to recover health.』

『Saint’s Blessing LV4 is activated.』

『Based on the caster, a 2-meter radius Sanctuary is deployed.』

『Incantation Nullification is activated.』

『The next magic will be cast without incantation.』

Kung-!!

『Sanctuary Durability: 29%』

The golden Magic Circle spread in a circle around my feet, and when a giant tentacle touched it, it trembled as if it would break at any moment.

Perhaps seeing me stumble and collapse, unable to withstand the impact, the girl bit her own finger and mocked me again.

“Ahaha! You’re like a turtle in its shellee… I wonder what kind of flesh will come out if I crack it opennn~.”

“….Hae.”

“….Huh?”

“…I’m sorry. Unknown Klausian.”

“If I seemed arrogant… I’m truly sorry. I’ve never thought of you as evil. Nor have I ever considered you weak.”

“It’s just… our environments are different… I wanted to understand and get along… I didn’t want to fight.”

“But… you are dangerous.”

“If I die here… you will someday harm my friends.”

That much… I hate.

Luna, Mera, Hyun-ah, Soo-ah, Ciel, Seri… all of them are precious friends to me.

Even if I have to break my beliefs, they are the unnies I want to protect.

“So…!”

Inside the deployed Sanctuary, I knelt on my left knee as if praying to a god and placed the hammer in my hand on the floor, as a shield of light descended, piercing through the tentacle-filled sky.

As the light from the shield touched the tentacles, the parts touched by the light turned into golden dust and rose into the sky.

Subsequently, as the light spread to the girl’s body, her form gradually disappeared, leaving only the hood.

“Sob… sniff..!”

‘The first monster I’ve killed, and the last monster I’ll kill… I’m sorry..’

“I’m the one getting hutt~ Why are you crying so muchhh…?”

“ChuChuuu… You’re still arroganttt…”

……

It’s over…

The room returned to its original state, and the girl’s Magical Power was no longer detected.

The beer and fries I first saw, were they really what Seri was going to eat? They were left untouched in their original spot.

The girl’s figure was no longer visible, and when I looked at the mirror on the vanity, my face, once again drenched in sweat, came into view.

‘..I’m a mess…

My swollen eyes from crying, or my hair matted with sweat… This was certainly not a sight to show anyone.

“That hurt quite a bittt~ ChuChu…”

Hwirik!!

“Kkuheup?!”

“Wellll… At most, it just felt like my hair was being pulled outtt~.”

‘I can’t… see..!’

Eight tentacles shot out from the mirror. Instantly wrapping around my face, a fleshy rod forced its way into my narrow throat.

I struggled desperately to tear it off, but just grabbing its slippery body was incredibly difficult.

With the girl’s voice whispering in my ear and the impact striking my back, I couldn’t maintain my posture and ultimately collapsed.

Kkulleok-Kkulleokkkulleokkkulleok…!

“Ueup?! Kkureup…kkeup..!”

“It’s okay, it’s okayyy~ Swallow it all, all of itt~.”

Not only was I suffocating, but like a chicken in a feeding pen being force-fed, the tentacles filling my throat writhed, and every time they spat mucus into my stomach, I involuntarily gagged.

‘No… My skill, my skill…!’

『Paladin’s Will LV 5 is deactivated.』

『Heavenly Shield LV 3 is deactivated.』

『Aphrodisiac Poisoning (Medium) status is activated.』

『Physical sensitivity dramatically increases. Estrus probability increases based on the amount injected into the body.』

『Aphrodisiac Poisoning (Major) status is activated.』

『Physical sensitivity dramatically increases. Estrus probability increases based on the amount injected into the body.』

『Aphrodisiac Poisoning (Extreme) status is activated.』

『Physical sensitivity dramatically increases. Estrus probability increases based on the amount injected into the body.』

『You enter estrus.』

“…Puha… Heek! Heek…!”

“Did you drink it alll? Good girl, good girll~ Oh, I haven’t introduced myself, have Iii~?”

As if it had finished its task, the octopus-shaped tentacles fell from my face and hung limply.

As I caught my breath and lifted my head, a cute blonde girl smiled brightly, showing her pointed teeth.

“Klaus Seven Stars, 『Knight』 Hasterrr… Haa… Even though you’re completely drenched in sweat like this… you smell like honey…”

“Hey, ChuChuuu… ChuChu, do you like giving birthhh? Or do you like being made to give birthhh~? I like either wayyy…”