Colosseum of Betrayal
In the center of the colosseum, Hiyori stared at the massive Overmind, watching Kang Hae-bin reach out toward her. "Hae-bin-nim...?"
Her towering height, voluptuous breasts, wide hips, and smooth belly—all forming a stunning figure. A face impossible to mistake. The one she'd known since childhood. The magical girl outfit was different from the one she'd always seen, now a black ensemble similar to Hiyori's own.
"Hi~"
With a smile in front of the Overmind, the outstretched hand clenched into a fist.
Kwachik!
Hiyori's body was violently shoved sideways. Echok had forcibly moved her. Hiyori glanced at the spot where she'd been standing. The space was badly distorted. Excessive gravity had shattered it. A blatant killing intent in the attack.
Hey! Snap out of it!
Snap! "Ow! I'm awake now!" Hiyori planted her feet firmly on the ground and glared at Kang Hae-bin. As she gazed at her, memories flooded back of how hard she'd worked.
I'll become a magical girl as strong as Lianna! I'll help the weak!
She'd strived. And become a magical girl. She'd been more active than anyone. But she was a magical girl without talent. That's why she'd moved higher, farther, faster than anyone else.
"Why... why on earth...!"
Growing up idolizing Magical Girl Lianna, seeing her idol corrupted and facing her like this was utter agony. She had to fix this.
"Everything..."
It finally clicked. Black Tree Guild from the start. The emblem symbolizing the black tree god. Information deliberately erased from the underworld. The factions. The massive Overmind's body melted away, revealing what was inside.
"Hunter Kwon Yong-jin."
Black Tree Guild wasn't corrupted. It never needed to be. The guild called one of the Big Three was the Overmind's stronghold. The shock hit harder than ever.
She had to escape. Fighting for her life wasn't the issue now. If this truth stayed hidden, it would be too dangerous.
Get ready. We're bolting at full speed.
Reading Hiyori's thoughts instantly, Echok prepared all her power for escape. As Kang Hae-bin raised her hand again, Hiyori's body vanished in a flash.
"Huh?"
Not expecting such speed, Kang Hae-bin faltered. But as expected of Magical Girl Lianna, she pinpointed Hiyori's location immediately. Hiyori was right in front of the massive black sphere—the gate.
The moment Hiyori's hand was about to touch the black sphere—
"Space Domination"
Gate sealed. Pzzt! Sparks flew as her hand met the black sphere, repelling her.
This voice...
A woman's voice, prouder than anyone's. One Hiyori knew well. Her face twisted in rage.
"Friss..."
A woman with long blonde hair reaching her waist, pointing a gun-shaped hand at Hiyori. Friss was clad head to toe in black.
That seal up front looks tough to break.
Quickly analyzing the seal, Echok realized escape was impossible. Then... fight.
Grip! She drew her sword and gripped it tight. Hiyori's blade gleamed as it appeared, Echok's black particles binding it to her hand.
No need to fight them all. Odds of winning were slim anyway. Take down Friss, who sealed the gate. No time for proper stance.
Vanishing in a streak of light, Hiyori thrust her sword at Friss's neck. The slash resonated through space, striking true. Grip! Faster than ever, Friss couldn't react. The sharp blade aimed to sever her neck—but the choker blocked it. The impact, unabsorbed, sent Friss flying.
Bam!
As Hiyori charged after her, immense pressure crushed down.
Gravity!
She knew. Hae-bin-nim's power. Gravity Manipulation. Even pouring all mana into physical enhancement, her body wouldn't move. As expected of Hae-bin-nim.
Squish! An invisible hand gripped her neck, lifting her. This couldn't be the end.
Grk... Get ready.
Got it. Here we go!
Pierce, pierce, pierce... Echok's black particles clinging to her body stabbed tentacles into her. Echok, made from bodily fluids and life force. Blood worked too. Of course, the easiest fluid was love juices, but the sensation of blood being drained still felt alien. The exhaustion faded quickly.
Flash! "Oh my?"
She shattered the gravity gripping her neck, drawing out all her strength, mana, and life force. So powerful it repelled Kang Hae-bin's gravity and Friss's space domination entirely. The energy concentrated in her wings, shining brilliantly. As if to incinerate the space itself.
"Terraflareeeeeee!!!!!"
Endlessly accumulated magic from Hiyori's wings erupted, threatening to devour the space, the gate itself. Then, a woman with a black ponytail—identical to Hiyori but with pure white wings and corrupted black ones—descended from the air.
Angel's RainDevil's Rain
White and black light burst dazzlingly from her wings, intercepting Hiyori's attack completely.
Boom boom boom boom boom boom boom!!!!!!
The clash of pink magic and white-black light was a fireworks spectacle.
"Even Magical Girl Sano...!"
How many magical girls had fallen? Impossible to gauge. At least two of Korea's top elite were gone. This was bad. Overmind alone was overwhelming. No—don't think that way. No need to beat them all. Just drop Friss, and the gate seal breaks.
Her eyes met those of Magical Girl Sano hovering in the air. A slight tremble—energy depletion. Even she couldn't withstand Echok's life force drain.
Echok!
On it!
Pierce, pierce... To the limit, infused with unreachable mana! Black life force and pink magic absorbed into her wings, glowing radiantly. Drip, drip. Her wings tore slightly from the overload, blood trickling.
"Wow, impressive," said Hunter Kwon Yong-jin from the colosseum center, admiring Hiyori gathering energy. The power was excessive. Even he struggled to fathom the force she was condensing.
Soon, the energy in her wings exploded. On another level entirely. It surged to erase everything around. Rumble rumble. Space shook from the excess.
But one woman reached toward Hiyori.
Past Manipulation
The erupting energy vanished in an instant.
"...!"
The battlefield fell eerily silent, as if nothing happened. Hiyori's head trembled as she turned. Shocked by the being who effortlessly erased energy even she couldn't handle.
A girl stood there.
"Magical Girl Ai...!"
Ai, thought dead, stared with eyes blackened. And behind her—strange, massive black cocoons.
"What the...!"
Don't freak. Those cocoons? All magical girls and hunters.
"What?!"
Black branches sprouted from Magical Girl Ai's back, countless massive black cocoons hanging from them. All of them—magical girls and hunters.
"No way, their life force from there?!"
Yep. All the 'dead' magical girls and hunters? Alive. As living batteries.
"How could you...!"
Focus. Can't drain more blood now.
Hunter Kwon Yong-jin—Overmind—patted Ai's head with a smile. Ai jumped up and kissed him.
Friss, just Friss. Ignore the rest as much as you can. Not that it's easy...
Worst situation, but no losing hope. Hiyori steadied her breath and awakened her mana again. If it vanished, make more. If gone again, make it once more.
Huuu. Mana surged endlessly. Watching her draw mana without limit, Overmind felt intrigued. Twitch. As if the world moved for Hiyori. A pure white light embraced her like a blessing.
Second awakening, huh.
Facing multiple magical girls in extreme situations, those who didn't give up always triggered it. Powers enhanced, new abilities gained, or changed. Pushed to the brink in the worst scenario, Hiyori became the first magical girl to access the system.
Ding.
The world has responded to Star Girl.
Everyone in the space jolted at the system's voice. Except Overmind.
Yong-jin, the Magical Girl Administrator has intervened.
Hmm... What's Star Girl do?
Simply put, think shrine maiden or saint.
Hm?
Someone who received the Magical Girl Administrator's favor.
I see.
==
Her mind cleared. The overflowing mana that had supported and elevated her settled. The screams of her body vanished cleanly. Power surged stronger than ever. And that voice just now. A warm blessing, as if the world cheered her on. Strength to defeat everyone here flowed through her.
What the hell is this?!
Echok too—massive life force from her black particles bolstered her.
Bang! Swinging her gripped sword with force unleashed a massive shockwave, obliterating half the colosseum. A power she usually needed full effort for, now from a casual swing. The fallen magical girls' mocking faces turned serious.
I can win!
Let's go, Hiyori!
"Let's go, Echok!"
She spread her legs, lowered her stance, pulled her sword back. Echok's tentacles stabbed into the ground, anchoring her. Gripping her and the sword tight, she poured all life force into the blade. Mana and life force fused, condensed—space screamed. Her wings vanished, becoming light beams coiling around the sword.
Enough. This power could turn the tide!
Rumble rumble rumble! Fallen magical girls gathered power, hurling abilities and spells to disrupt—but Echok's overflowing life force tentacles blocked everything.
Overmind still watched with arms crossed. Kill it. That monster dies here.
Aiming at Overmind, she thrust—then saw its face. Unmistakably smirking. No hint of threat.
Die before you can react!
Straight... slide "Hii?!"
Sudden movement in her womb.
"Echok?"
Squish. Fssshhhhhh!
"Wha?"