Magical Girl Friss (1)
The scorching sunlight pierced my eyes, and I sat up with a groan.
"Ugh."
As soon as I came to my senses, the first thing I saw was the vast ocean. An emerald sea straight out of a movie stretched out calmly before me. Turning my head the other way revealed an expansive forest.
—Awake now, Yong-jin?
"Yeah."
This place was probably an inescapable uninhabited island. According to Gabriella, it was a forced rest space. Why was I here? To answer that, we'd have to rewind about two hours.
I'd arrived at the gate raid site with Chae-yeon and was waiting alongside her. Once the full raid party assembled and the briefing began, someone picked a fight with me.
[What's a mere hunter doing here?]
Following the voice, I turned to see a magical girl who looked like the epitome of a haughty villainess noble. Long blonde hair, golden eyes, and a pristine uniform dress. Anyone could tell her ego pierced the heavens.
[What're you staring at?]
That was the moment I decided. You're next.
From what Chae-yeon told me, she was a famous magical girl even among their ranks. Arrogant, looking down on hunters, and rude to other magical girls too. Her epithet was Friss. Her ability was Space Domination—she could alter any law governing the space within her line of sight to suit her whims. For instance, stopping the kinetic energy of a sword mid-swing, or reversing the energy of incoming bullets to send them back. The applications were endless. Most said Friss favored reversal tactics, which made her unbeatable.
The raid leader, another magical girl, reined Friss in, and the briefing resumed. Soon, everyone gathered in front of the gate. I'd thought a gate was just a rift in space, but it was a black sphere hovering there. Gabriella had explained that, per the world's laws, connections to other dimensions had to take a spherical form. When they asked if I wanted more details, I said no. Figure it out yourselves.
As pre-assigned, we entered the gate in teams. Inside, a massive wall loomed—a circular enclosure with a single opening, like it was advertising, This way. We regrouped and headed through.
That's when we realized the gate's theme was a labyrinth. Gates weren't that hard to clear on their own. We deployed hordes of magical girls and hunters just to minimize variables. And those variables struck here.
We'd cleared the monsters and nearly reached the labyrinth's end when disaster hit. A black sphere appeared before the exit—the first gate ever to spawn inside another gate. If that were all, fine. But monsters poured out of it. Weak ones, but an uncountable swarm.
The raid party immediately engaged in all-out war. Time dragged on, and we'd almost wiped them when an enormous monster hand burst from the gate. Everyone felt it instinctively: That thing's owner couldn't be allowed out.
Even I, facing a monster, flinched at the sheer malice radiating from that hand.
Gabriella spoke calmly then.
—That's a double trap. The hand is fake. Inside that gate is a [Forced Rest] space.
'A forced rest space?'
—When it terrifies you into thinking you'll die if captured, stepping inside lands you on an uninhabited island. Time dilation applies too—one day inside equals one hour outside.
'Sounds like a steal.'
—Precisely. A prankish administrator scattered these everywhere.
'Can I leave freely?'
—You must stay one full day by [Forced Rest] time.
'Nice... Can you tweak it?'
—Of course.
'Good. Target Friss hard. Throw in some weak monsters on the island too.'
—Understood.
And so the plan kicked off. The raid battled the monsters and the tentacles spewing from the giant hand. We pretended to fight while I eyed Friss. Party members dropped one by one. We'd slain everything but the colossal beast, but the gate-straddling monster was the issue. Fake or not, everyone fought desperately.
Friss sweated buckets but reflected every tentacle aimed at other magical girls—true to her status. I sprinkled black particles on one approaching tentacle, activating Perception Reduction. It snuck behind her and snatched her. Dragged toward the gate in an instant.
Everyone panicked at the sudden grab, but I rushed to the vanishing Friss. She snapped to and reached to activate her power—but my black particles had transferred, triggering Ability Nullification. Her eyes trembled as her ability failed.
I sliced the tentacle and caught her, one hand under her ass. Tentacles flew at us from all sides. She stretched out again, but nothing happened. I swatted them with my back's black branches. I deliberately let one slip, and it yanked her into the gate.
"Damn it!"
Half her body vanished inside. Eyes welling, she stretched toward me desperately, begging to live. I grabbed her hand.
The moment hope lit her face—
"Behind you!"
I'd known, but played it late. BAM! We tumbled into the gate.
==
Isn't this place way too comfy? Fruits, produce—you name it. Gabriella vouches they're edible and non-toxic; most are. And delicious. Gate interiors must be special; all sorts of fruits and berries abound. Even animals. I could camp here later. I'd requested monsters on the island, but originally, no threats existed.
Heart pounding. Watching humans vs. wilds is always fun. And safe here.
First, scope the island. I dashed to a high point—about 400 meters up, impressive for an island mountain. Bigger than expected; roughly 30 square kilometers. Vast.
Friss must be coming around by now. Wonder what she'll do.
Entering the gate, I'd burst particles on her, coating her in Ability Nullification. Plus, I'd directed monsters her way—mentally and physically exhausted. Leave her a week. A magical girl can handle it.
Time to build a bamboo house like I saw from the peak.
==
Chatting with Gabriella and mimicking videos, a week flew by. Found a stream for showers, hunted fish and game—blissful relaxation.
"Time to check on Friss?"
Finding her, blanketed in black particles, was easy. Activated Perception Reduction and headed her way. She hunkered in a small cave. Magical girl perks: she'd foraged fruits. Deep inside, there she was—knees hugged in the dark. Her uniform dress frayed, dissolving as transformation waned.
A week's battles with monsters. No abilities, but her body held up.
Monster roars echoed outside. Eerie normally, amplified in the cave—pure terror fuel. Friss bolted up, ready to fight.
"Hoo... I can do this!"
Sealed powers or not, she butchered the monsters before her. Collapsing as the last fell.
"Why's rescue so damn late?!"
Exhausted. No rest, no sleep—a week at her limit. Proof: her vanishing dress. Then, worse roars—more monsters.
No break, she fought on. Mid-punch at another, her uniform dissolved completely.
Magical girl power gone—ordinary human now. Just underwear remained. She'd transformed in undies only.
Her punch barely grazed the monster's head. Normal strength couldn't kill them.
"Damn...!"
Retreating, a monster tackled her from behind. She sprawled face-down. It loomed, dick out.
Seeing the filthy cock, she screamed.
"You bastards!!! Damn it, damn it—not like this for my first time...!"
Overwhelmed, she imagined it plunging into her.
Pity—the monsters' cue to exit. I slipped out, dropped Perception Reduction, and charged the one pinning her.
CRASH!!!
"You?!"
Smashed the head of the one atop her. The dick-waggling one leaped at me as I appeared—I impaled it with a branch. Burst the rest's heads with fruits.
Cave cleared in seconds, monster corpses strewn.
"You okay?"
"How dare a hunter speak casually to me...!"
Almost raped, and this attitude. Impressive.
