Using the Enemy Against the Enemy
Kuro Usagi Monster Association Headquarters.
Ulbr, Seika, Robert, Per and Mer, Tempest, and Kargos. The six executives sat around the round table.
The atmosphere was heavier than usual. And for good reason—one seat was empty.
"Now we're all here."
"I've been waiting forever."
"Let's get this over with quick! I gotta watch my drama!"
Robert tapped his cane on the floor to quiet them down.
"Before we start the meeting, let's take a moment to pray for the soul of our longtime comrade, Bital Cruise."
A solemn silence fell.
He might have had his own ways, but no one worried about the monsters' well-being more than that true fiend.
"Moment of silence."
Three seconds later.
"Amen."
"Namu Amida Butsu."
"Allahu Akbar."
The monsters roughly crossed themselves according to their respective faiths and wrapped up their prayers.
Comradeship among monsters was shallow at best—nice to have, but no big loss if it wasn't there.
Sure, Bital's death was a shame, but he'd left behind massive cash assets and real estate for the Association. Good things should stay good, right? Honestly, everyone was smirking inside.
With the half-hearted memorial over, the real meeting was about to kick off when—
"Hold on. Aren't we missing one more?"
"Who?"
"Goliath."
"Oh, Goliath? He's dead."
Silence.
"...What?"
"Dead. Three days ago."
"An executive dies, and you're only mentioning it now?"
"You didn't ask."
"No, but... who got him? And how did I not know Goliath was dead?"
"I only found out from the news myself."
Goliath had been taken down not long after Bital.
It was indeed magical girls, but there was a perfectly good reason even Seika, the Association's self-proclaimed brain, hadn't known.
"He did get taken out by magical girls, but not the Korean ones."
"Then who?"
"Japanese magical girls."
Japan? Out of nowhere?
"A few days ago, he botched the gate coordinates and dropped right into the middle of Akihabara."
"...Ah."
Sighs rippled through the room.
Japan—the birthplace of magical girl culture, as they claimed—had the highest monster sighting rate in the world.
It was a cutthroat red ocean swarming with the most active magical girls anywhere.
Which meant all sorts of concept-wielding magical girls running wild.
"Word is, he got spotted immediately by the local Magical Girl Squadron and Magical Girl Rider team."
"Oof."
"He held off about thirty of them, then a combiner robot popped out of nowhere and he screamed his way to death."
Thirty-on-one. Less a fight, more a beatdown.
No matter how tough Goliath's hide was, taking thirty signature moves would've been too much.
In the end, Goliath gloriously perished, ascending to the stars.
"Poor guy..."
"...Any last words?"
"According to the local spy's report, these were his final cry in his last moments."
Robert cleared his throat.
"Gol! Lai! Er! Us!"
Solemn silence.
"Idiot."
Per and Mer clicked their tongues.
"Still, works out great for me."
"Huh? Why?"
"His giant concept overlapped with mine and it was getting annoying."
"No..."
"Wasn't he your quota filler for giants? He even got to yell 'Gol! Lai! Er! Us!' at Korean magical girls, so no regrets, right?"
Seika eyed Robert like he was fish-head curry. What the hell was this guy?
"If you need a giant, I can step in anytime. Just say the word."
"No thanks."
"At least we confirmed Japan's magical girls are still kicking. Let's spin his sacrifice as valuable."
Goliath had hustled hard in the human world and amassed a fortune.
His blood, sweat, and tears would fund Kargos's mountain of tteokbokki snacks next to him.
"Enough chit-chat."
Robert's eyes sharpened suddenly.
"Bital and Goliath. We lost two A-rank forces overnight. Especially the one who took Bital..."
"Neff," Ulbr muttered, cracking her neck.
"Right. Neff. Our..." Robert glanced at Per and Mer, who yelped and swallowed hard.
"...Sigh. Our target."
Robert projected footage in the table's center.
Neff's photo, battle videos, and mana wave analysis from Bital's defeat floated in the air.
It looked cinematic, sure, but now what? Ever since the Rexon Games siege, monsters had scoured the nation for ways to use Neff as the Demon King's vessel.
They'd dug through every ancient tome, visited fortune-tellers, even held shaman rituals. Nothing.
You had to meet her first to figure anything out. Bital had tried and ended up memorialized.
Robert manipulated the footage, showing Bital injecting his mana into Neff.
"Speaking of... what the heck was that?"
"Maybe that's the key to reviving the Demon King? Bital pulled a clutch move in his final moments, planting the seed in the vessel."
"Ooh..."
Sounds plausible. Nods all around.
"Sacrificing to the end for the Monster Association's great cause... a true fiend...!"
As the monsters teared up in感動, Kargos, munching tteokbokki, dumped cold water on them.
"Or maybe he just screwed us over?"
"..."
"On his way out, like 'screw it, let's see you idiots suffer' and powered her up. For the record, that's what I'd do."
Sounds plausible. Nods all around.
Bital was exactly the type. He'd once folded a fellow monster's spine for flicking a cigarette butt in his garden.
"This is all Per and Mer's fault."
"Huh? Us? Outta nowhere?"
Per and Mer, lurking in the corner, jumped.
"Yeah. You brats started yapping about Demon King vessels and blew this way out of proportion."
"H-Hey! You guys agreed back then too...!"
"Thanks to your loose lips, Magical Society's losing it. Protecting one Neff like she's gold, doing stuff they never bothered with before."
Per and Mer's stray spark had sparked a butterfly effect hurricane.
Magical Society went overboard on the "Demon King vessel" bait, maxing out security, and even...
"This international magical girl exchange is in Korea now."
"Oh, Neff's the rep, right?"
"Wait, wasn't it China's turn?"
"Society pulled strings."
"Exactly. All the world's magical girls converging on Seoul. Concentrating forces under the guise of protecting Neff."
Thunderbolt to the monsters.
Korean magical girls were choking them already—now foreign mercs too? Time to emigrate?
As the mood sank to funeral levels—
"Hm?"
Seika, deep in thought, flashed her glasses.
"Hold up."
"What?"
"You said exchange meet?"
"Yeah."
"Japan's coming too, then?"
"Obviously."
"In that case..." Seika smirked.
"How about yi yi zhi yi? Using barbarians to control barbarians?"
"Ee-jee...?"
Tempest, dozing nearby, blinked.
"Whaaat's thaaat...? New idol groooup...?"
"..."
"U.S. stooocks...?"
Seika ignored the old fogey's nonsense.
"Use the enemy to crush the enemy."
"So, using who?"
"Japan has 'her.'"
Mer twitched at Seika's words. She had a hunch.
"Her? You don't mean..."
"Yes. The one and only stain on Japan's magical girl scene. A monster in magical girl garb."
The fallen magical girl. Officially a magical girl, but secretly in bed with the Monster Association, selling info for personal gain—a traitor.
"She's tight with the Association. Hands over intel whenever we pay up."
"Yeah, money makes her do anything."
"But will she make the exchange roster?"
The exchange sent one rep per country—no hordes.
What were the odds a fallen girl snagged that glorious national spot?
"Don't worry. She hides her true nature perfectly in Japan, plays the model magical girl to a T."
Seika adjusted her glasses smugly.
"Pay right, and she'll claw her way to rep, no holds barred."
"Direct hit on Neff's too risky. Could end up like Bital."
"True. But frame it as a duel or accident?"
"Solid alibi, pin it on magical girl infighting."
"Commission her. Cripple Neff for life. Or kill her."
Robert tapped his cane.
"Brilliant as always, Seika. Unlike Tempest."
"Whaaat? But... Iii can flyyy... You guys caaan't...?"
"...I can fly."
"Good. Per and Mer, contact her now. Generous down payment from Goliath's estate."
Rest in peace. Goliath.
Tokyo, Chiyoda Ward's supertall tower mansion, top floor.
A luxurious penthouse with Tokyo's dazzling nightscape sprawling below.
A massive wall-mounted TV blared in the palace-like center, price per ping unimaginable.
"...Yes! I'm Katana, selected as Japan's representative for this international magical girl exchange!"
A classic Japanese beauty with long black twin tails neatly tied, wearing a refined outfit remixing traditional Japanese attire. Poised stance, elegant gestures, and an impeccable smile of dignity.
"I'm honored to participate in this exchange in Korea. I look forward to building friendship with neighboring magical girls and making it a meaningful event where we learn from each other."
The announcer nodded in rapture.
"Ahh, as expected of Katana! Skill aside, your character is perfection! Korea's magical girls could learn from your grace!"
"Hehe, you're too kind. I'll simply represent Japan without shame."
Japan's most beloved magical girl archetype. Icon of humility and virtue—that was Katana's public image.
Beep.
The remote clicked, screen going black.
"Ugh, gross. Makes me wanna puke. Even I think I look punchable."
The woman sprawled corpse-like on the sofa chucked the remote and snapped irritably. Gone was the TV elegance—now a tracksuit slob with messy hair like dried fish. Real name: Usami Kuroko. Alias: the fallen magical girl, Kuro Usagi.
"Why Korea of all places? Why do I have to go there?!"
She was Korea-phobic. Not born that way—she used to love K-dramas and samgyeopsal. But after getting soul-crushed by Korea's Sword, it was acquired.
After that thrashing, she'd lost her whole concept. White top, red bottoms miko outfit, plus a katana. She'd proudly named herself Katana, thinking it screamed Japan.
But for mere "illegal airspace violation," Sword beat her like a dog in summer heat and booted her out.
Her butt still throbbed thinking about it.
No, she started it. Could've talked nice, but "chink"? That crazy bitch? Racism has limits!
Anyway, post-humiliation, her rep tanked.
Losing pathetically to a fellow sword-user was bad enough. Japan-Korea rivalry stung too. Worst, she lost the miko outfit and katana—Japan's symbols.
No wonder the public shunned her.
The once-pure girl chose the dark path to rebuild. First backroom deal with the Monster Association's Japan branch.
She got monster spawn spots, times, weaknesses—ambushed and "heroically" took them out.
In return: magical girl intel, artifacts, civilian hotspots.
Through this filth, she'd clawed back over a decade. Not her old miko look, but black kimono and blue hakama—darker vibe.
Beijing exchange? She jumped in for goodwill. Nabbed rep—then venue switched to Seoul?
"Screw it, skip?"
Ding! A sudden alert—she snatched her phone in annoyance. Encrypted messaging app. Sender: S. Monster Association's Seika.
Commission Details: Eliminate Korea's rookie magical girl Neff (no survival required)
Location: During the International Magical Girl Exchange
Payment: 50,000,000 yen (50% upfront) + α (bonus on success)
"Fifty million yen...?"
Kuroko's eyes lit up. Irritation and laziness melted before five billion won's financial therapy.
"Hmm~ That big-dumb Goliath left quite the inheritance? Generous for monsters."
Licking her lips, she checked Neff's attached profile.
"Neff?"
Innocent-faced rookie magical girl. Hot stuff in Korea lately for bagging an A-rank monster.
"Cocky little brat. Bouncing around above her station. A-rank? Dumb luck."
Kuroko X'd out Neff's photo with her finger.
"This hick kid dares as Prima's vessel? Hilarious. Time to show her the real deal."
She shot up.
Grabbing her rabbit pendant at the full-length mirror.
Swish.
Her shadow rippled, swallowing her whole in seconds.
What emerged wasn't the announcer's praised prim kimono beauty.
Black enamel tight bodysuit, fishnet stockings. Perky bunny ears, cursed demon blade at her hip.
Dubbed bunny girl. That was Katana—no, fallen magical girl Kuro Usagi's true form.
Kuro Usagi pored over Seika's extra intel. One detail hooked her: months ago, Neff majorly contributed to Sword taking down A-rank Kraken. And Sword doted on the kid.
"Hmm... whattaya know. They look pretty tight?"
A chilling smile—she half-drew her katana. The razor edge gleamed eerily in moonlight.
"How to mess her up to really ruin that Sword bitch's day?"
Just imagining it eased her butt pain already.
