The Magical Girl's Bizarre Invitation
The streets buzzed with the electric hum of an unseen crowd as the camera lens swept across the battlefield, capturing every frantic detail of the unfolding clash. In the foreground, the dazzling princesses of the night sky soared like living comets, their colorful auras streaking across the dark heavens. Pink braids whipped in the wind, aqua blues flashed with determination, and lemon-yellow lights danced like fireflies in a celestial festival.
Yet beneath that radiant beauty lay a chilling reality. Their eyes burned crimson with rage and bloodlust, pupils dilated in feral hunger. One girl with striking pink pigtails licked her lips over a massive claw, saliva stretching in thick strands from her tongue. Her voice rang out clear and playful, almost sing-songy.
“Hee hee hee! Let’s all enjoy the sweet taste of these grotesque monsters again after so long! Come on, everyone, let’s give it our all!”
Another, short-haired with a twintail, blushed furiously while twisting her body, her magic wand already coated in crushed, bloody chunks of the enemy’s flesh.
“I was crying because I missed those cute little monsters…呜呜……”
Her blue-ponytailed companion immediately snarled, gun barrel spitting sparks as she blasted forward. “Those damn monsters are making such an annoying noise! Hey, you freaks! Let’s play some real fun now!”
The magical girls licked their weapons with eager tongues, their bodies coiled like springs, and launched into a relentless assault.
The camera cut sharply to the opposite side. The barren earth trembled under the weight of the grotesque monsters—horned beasts and scaled giants, all frozen in a standoff. Their eyes gleamed with raw fear and unyielding resolve. At the front, the massive wolf-like monster roared, blood foaming from its mouth.
“Hold the formation! Grit your teeth! Drive these evil beings out of our land!”
“First squad, buy us time at all costs! Get the elders and children to safety!”
“Don’t give up! Protect our home, the demon realm, from these cruel humans!”
The monsters braced for the charge. Some trembled violently. Others clutched hands for courage. One even ran its tongue across its lips in nervous excitement.
Then, cutting through the frenzy like a blade through silk, a lone girl stepped forward.
Her waist-length green hair cascaded like a waterfall of emerald silk. Her eyes carried an ancient, serene depth. No weapon in her hands. Just a bored yawn and one slender finger extended.
Tap.
The world itself cracked.
The screen shattered into static. The clash ended in an instant of blinding light.
The living room was swallowed by a thick, suffocating silence. I stood in the center, one hand clutching my bag, eyes locked on the sofa where a figure lounged with legs crossed.
Green hair. Green eyes.
Rank S magical girl. Codename Kirin.
Right after school, I had come home to find the princess from the TV screen waiting for me.
I swallowed hard. The sound of my Adam’s apple was embarrassingly loud in the quiet.
Scary. Terrifying, even. But beneath the fear, something stirred—excitement. My heart beat strangely calm, almost steady.
Fear? Horror? Despair?
Those fragile emotions had no place in my vocabulary. I had already faced death.
I knew the worst kind was one that took you without even a final word, just like a shadow slipping away.
And now I stared straight into Kirin’s eyes. Hers were deep, serene, and endless.
Kirin rose slowly from the sofa, then crossed the empty space in a single, silent step. No sound, no breeze—only smooth, fluid motion.
She stopped right in front of me, leaned in slightly, and held out her hand.
“Magical girl, want to be one?”
Her tone was light, playful, like casually asking if I wanted to eat tteokbokki for dinner tonight.
At that moment, the very air thickened. Space itself seemed to warp. My lungs burned as invisible pressure crushed my chest. The glass windows in the living room let out a faint, hairline crack.
It was spirit power—a probing gaze that sliced straight to the core of my being.
She was testing me.
Here… I have to pass.
Compared to the torture of burning at the stake, this was nothing. I could endure it!
I forced my lungs to expand against the weight, controlling my breath. Strength surged into my trembling legs, back straightened like steel. I even lifted my chin slightly, meeting her green gaze head-on.
Showing I was not afraid.
Proving that I was no ordinary person she could crush with her spirit power.
The second I confirmed there was no trace of fear in her eyes, Kirin’s lips curled into a genuine smile of delight.
“Wow… that’s impressive?”
Her spirit power vanished instantly. The air in the room returned to its normal weight. She clapped her hands enthusiastically.
“You held it? Not a single leg shaking?”
She leaned forward, eyes inches from mine.
“Hey, kiddo. Ever seen any magical girl battle videos?”
I nodded.
“Yeah. They were really energetic and fun to watch.”
Kirin’s eyes sparkled with excitement.
“Haha! Exactly! They’re super pumped! The moment they smell the scent of blood, they go crazy!”
She giggled and high-fived herself.
“You offered to become a magical girl, right? I’ll do it. I’ll become a magical girl.”
Kirin blinked in surprise.
“Oh? No thinking it over? Most people would run away and worry about the usual clichés—like some kind of contract or something.”
I clenched my fists. Of course it was terrifying. Extremely terrifying.
But I kept going.
“As long as it’s not to the point of eating me… right?”
She tilted her head, confused.
“Huh?”
“If you were going to eat me, Kirin—one way or another—physically or spiritually… I’d raise myself the best I could, right? Right now, I’m just a scrawny, barely-there ingredient. The more delicious and full of power I become, the better the feast.”
I pointed at my own body.
“Take me as your disciple. Teach me the power and techniques of the magical girl. Raise me into the best meal. And… I’ll strike first before you can bite my head off.”
The room fell into dead silence.
Kirin stared at me, mouth slightly open, eyes wide with shock.
One second. Two. Three.
“Heh… heh heh heh… aha ha ha ha ha ha ha!”
She doubled over, laughing so hard tears welled up. She wiped her eyes with the back of her hand, still chuckling.
“Good! I like it! What a crazy little kid! Deal! From now on, you can call me Master!”
Kirin reached out like an old neighborhood auntie, friendly and warm.
“Alright, then let’s sign the contract right away! Let’s go meet your mascot!”
I looked at the hand she offered. It was pale white, almost translucent.
I knew exactly what power lay in those fingertips.
‘…’
My name: Lee Doha.
My age: a fresh-faced fifteen-year-old middle-school girl.
Someone who received confessions every day (from boys and girls alike) and was scouted for street casting three times a month! A beautiful face and figure that turned heads.
And I was also the smartest, self-proclaimed pretty girl in Seoul—never once lost first place in class!
Finally, the most important part: I had about eighty years left before old age and death. With that time, I would accumulate power and achieve immortality!
I placed my hand in Kirin’s. My face probably looked like I was smiling from ear to ear.
“Nice to meet you! Master!”
“Yeah! Nice to meet you too!”
Kirin smiled brightly, her small hand gripping mine firmly.
It was terrifying.
[Hand Contract Signed]