You Tempted Me First
Acturus looked utterly flustered by the sudden arrival of another of the Supreme 4, and I was just as shocked.
To track us down here this quickly. It was a development I hadn't anticipated at all.
This meant either the Magical Girl Association or Altair was far more capable than I'd predicted. Or both.
"Hey, you. You're that guy from the market alley, right?"
Suppressing a growl, the tall, short-haired beauty shot the question at me in a low voice. She pushed her goggles—meant to protect her corneas from supersonic impacts—up onto her forehead, revealing brown eyes glaring daggers at me.
"You remember. Should've pulled my hat brim lower."
"I knew you looked suspicious. Did you bring Acturus here?"
Bring her.... She seemed to completely rule out the possibility that I'd kidnapped a magical girl on her level. Not that I'd expect anything else from someone like her.
"You could say that. How'd you find this place?"
"Acturus sunbae, what are you doing over there? Come on! Let's go together. This space feels seriously creepy."
Ignoring my question as if I were beneath notice, Altair called out Acturus's real name and extended her hand to the woman standing behind me.
"You two seem pretty close."
"Why'd you come to a dump like this? Just wanted a break? Or did you need a man?"
Did she think she could squash me like a bug anytime? She didn't even glance my way.
What reflected in Altair's eyes as she stared at Acturus was desire. Something deeper... jealousy?
What the hell is with this bitch? I immediately turned to Acturus.
"You ever date that tomboy or anything?"
"Hah? What are you talking about? She's a woman, and so am I. Why would we date?"
Acturus had been making a pitiful face from the guilt she felt toward me up to now, but she straightened up and shot back as if she couldn't let this slide. Fair enough—I'd probably find it disgusting too if someone asked if I was dating a male coworker.
"...Does the idea of dating me sound that bad?"
Altair's gaze grew chillier as she alternated between me and Acturus, who were chatting so amiably.
Kyahahaha! That tomboyish girl over there has the hots for the big-titted nun, huh? Girl-on-girl—demonic! Dantalion's voice echoed in my head.
"Does hearing you're dating me disgust you that much? So... you ditched the Association, us, everyone—for some random guy you don't even know? Is that it?!"
Sure, there were always weirdos in magical girl fan cafes writing yuri fanfic pairings like that in the dark corners. Was it based on a true story?
"You... what the hell are you saying?"
"It's that weirdo's fault, right? He brainwashed you, sunbae."
With that, Altair didn't bother asking me anything or even attempting conversation. She dropped straight into a sprinter's starting stance.
"Pioneer Star—"
Her main combat style was brutally simple: supersonic dashes protected by magical barriers, followed by ramming attacks.
Most enemies didn't even need punches or kicks—just getting bulldozed by that was enough to end them.
Just like what happened to my father.
"W-wait, Altair, stop! That man is...!"
"I'll save you from that creep!!"
Ever true to her one-track mind, Altair launched into her supersonic charge.
Splat!
"Guhk!?"
And she failed spectacularly.
Her upper body lurched forward at supersonic speed, but her legs only managed a normal jump, so of course she faceplanted.
"Ehk?"
Nose bleeding, she let out a dumb noise.
"Puh—pahahaha!"
I clutched my stomach laughing, but Altair just stared in blank confusion.
"W-what the...? Pioneer Star!"
Unable to comprehend, she chanted her transformation invocation again and reset her stance—but failed once more.
Splat!
"Kyaak!"
"U-hahaha, hahahaha, what are you even doing?"
True to her rep as the most physical of the Supreme 4, she was an idiot. The occult magic permeating my mansion perfectly severed her star connection, just like with Acturus—depriving her of her fancy magical girl powers was inevitable.
"Why... why can't I transform? W-what's going...?"
I wanted to keep mocking her, but I needed intel first.
"Hey, track star."
"Huh?"
"You alone?"
"Y-yeah. Too much hassle to report and wait... everyone's so slow...."
Yeah. You've always been that reckless.
You never gave a damn about the disasters a powerhouse magical girl could cause running wild.
I approached her with a smile.
Whoosh!
"Acturus sunbae, I told you to come here! Something's off about this place—let's head back to the Association quick."
Even as the mysterious man lumbered toward her, she didn't imagine for a second she'd come to harm. Her gaze was fixed purely on Acturus, straightforward and pure.
The journalists crafting her image as the "innocent magical girl with a bright, beautiful smile" would snap away nonstop—but to me, it was revolting.
Crack!
I grabbed her by the hair roughly, and only then did her eyes turn to me.
"Huh? What're you...?"
A tone utterly devoid of pretense, like she genuinely couldn't understand. The personality of a kid showered with love since childhood, skating through any mess because others cleaned it up—flawlessly innocent.
I'll crush every last bit of it.
"Education."
I raised my hand.
Clenched my fist.
Tremble.
Veins bulged on my forearms as my heart pumped blood to my muscles.
Crunch!
My forearm flexed, knuckles hardening like stone, and the most primal human violence flew toward the untainted magical girl's face.
Splat!!
Felt good.
"Kahak!?"
"Huuu...."
Plink... plop plop....
Bloodied teeth tumbled to the floor from my full-force punch.
Honestly, no clue what happens next, but the moment powerless Altair crawled here on her own two feet, holding back became impossible.
"Uh, eh...? H-hiiik...."
"Ah, that hit the spot. You tempted me first."
I'd planned to take it slow with you, but you waltzed into my house on your own.
"Can't kill you, so just two more."
"Ueh...?"
Still not grasping the situation.
Splat!!
"Guhk!!"
Spurt—
Blood sprayed from her mouth, but she couldn't roll away. I'd gripped most of her prized bob haircut.
Her head yanked up as if her hair would rip out, but it didn't give. All the impact slammed into her facial bones.
Splaaat!
Crack.
"H-hiiiiaaaak—kyaahaaaak!!"
Her jawbone shattered on the final punch.
Whoosh whoosh.
"Ow, my hand hurts. Thick skull lives up to the name."
Thud!
I kicked her in the gut, sending her tumbling in front of Acturus, who watched me with a complicated, shadowed expression.
"You get it, right?"
No need for lengthy explanations.
"...Yes."
If she truly understood my vengeance—or even pretended to—she wouldn't object here.
"Heal her. Good as new."
Good thing I'd brought Acturus first. With her around, I could break my toys as much as I wanted without them dying.
Whether Acturus was playacting the pitiful nun or whatever—I didn't care.
I'd just use her.
From one to two—now I could get creative with the training.
"But right now... I've lost my star power."
"I can give it back."
"...!"
Acturus approached, leaving Altair wriggling like a worm on the floor before passing out.
"Really? You... trust me?"
Of course not. Trust trash like you?
I wanted solid collateral, not shaky faith.
"Dantalion. You listening?"
The horned woman slinked into view. Acturus gave a slight bow in greeting.
They'd met already, huh.
"Little guy, calling for sis when things get urgent? Need me to step back?"
"Cut the crap. Last offer."
"Offer?"
"If Acturus leaves the barrier, regains her star power, and tries to kill me or anything like it—just burst her womb."
Flinch.
"Ugh!! That's horrifying!"
"If she kills me anyway, you'll claim my soul and won't need to stick around. Consider it your contractor's request."
Unleashing a monster strong enough for the Supreme 4 needed safeguards like this.
"Oh, and Dantalion's 'eaten' organs won't regrow even if you pour your precious star power into them."
She'd live, sure—but missing guts forever. Living with a womb ripped out would mean constantly burning star power to survive.
Nod nod.
Eyes downcast, she nodded silently. Would she still try to kill me if her womb exploded irreparably?
I doubted it.
Greedy, selfish, money-mad—humans overflowing with desire and attachment to life, with so much to lose, don't even consider mutual destruction for revenge.
"Then let's step outside, Acturus."
Time to test it. Was she truly reformed, a repentant nun aching for atonement, as Dantalion claimed?
Or still the same human garbage, just acting?
I was curious as hell, honestly.
"Don't worry, little guy. If anything happens, big sis has your back."
Yeah, right. Can't trust a single bitch in this world.