Episode 5 : Occurrens Puellis Magicis (Part 4)

The moon shone brightly in the night sky, its silver light washing over the battlefield. Its glow fell upon Rin, making her appear almost ethereal. She was dressed in her magical outfit—a silver gown-like dress with elegant layered folds. The fabric shimmered faintly under the moonlight, giving it an almost liquid-like sheen. Though the dress had a regal and flowing design, the front was split into two long, folded panels, revealing her legs.

She wore white, opaque leggings that clung tightly to her legs, paired with high-heeled sabatons. These were not made of ordinary steel but of some mysterious, otherworldly material, reinforced with gleaming greaves that covered half of her legs.

A deep red cloak draped over her shoulders, adding a striking contrast to the silver of her attire. Her arms were adorned with protective armor—finely crafted gauntlets, sturdy vambraces, and layered pauldrons that shielded her shoulders.

Under the moon's radiant glow, she looked both graceful and unyielding—a warrior wrapped in beauty and strength, standing tall against the darkness.

"For my first time, I'd say I did pretty well," Rin muttered, looking down at the ground. Scattered around her were the bloody, dissected remains of Tentacla Deformia Unoculus and Nigreus Sanguis Effluens, their grotesque bodies slowly fading one after another.

"It's a good thing the designated battle zone was Shiba Park. Plenty of space to fight," she added.

She then turned her gaze to the ruined landscape around her. The once-pristine park was now a battlefield—trees uprooted, the ground cracked and broken, traces of destruction everywhere.

A strong wind began to blow, rustling through the wreckage, making her silver dress and red cloak billow around her. Above, dark clouds crept across the sky, swallowing the moonlight as the night deepened.

"The only thing left now is the boss of this invasion group," Rin said aloud.

But then again, there's a chance there won't be one, she thought. If I remember correctly, he said that most monster invasions are usually made up of lower-tier creatures grouped together. There's only a small chance of a boss appearing since higher-tier monsters prefer to attack alone.

She raised her arm high, and in an instant, a rapier materialized in her grasp. It was a breathtaking mix of silver and gold—the true edge gleaming gold, while the false edge shimmered in silver. The hilt and guard were a striking crimson, with a faint, eerie effect of blue light dripping from it, almost as if the blade itself was bleeding energy.

"Just in case," she murmured, gripping the rapier tightly. With a swift motion, she swung it downward. The blade cut effortlessly through the air before cleaving deep into the ground, splitting it apart with ease.

She waited and waited, but there was no sign of a boss monster appearing. No movement, no sounds—just silence. The moon had emerged from behind the clouds once more, casting its pale glow over the battlefield. By now, the remains of the monsters had completely faded away.

"I guess there's no boss for me," Rin sighed, lowering her rapier. She tapped the tip of the blade against the ground, the slight clink breaking the silence.

"Then how about you spend some time with me?"

A voice rang out from behind her—a female voice.

Rin turned sharply, her eyes narrowing the moment she saw who it was. A look of disgust crossed her face. "You must be Mari."

"Bingo!" Mari said with a playful smile. "Though I have to admit, I'm surprised you know who I am. This is our first time meeting, after all."

"Let's just say my friend showed me some pictures of you—hand-drawn ones, actually," Rin replied before pausing briefly. "No—wait, I mean pictures of every magical girl from our school."

Mari's eyes widened in surprise before she suddenly leaned in close—so fast that Rin barely had time to react.

"Really? How did your friend manage to see all our faces without a single magical girl noticing?" she asked, her voice laced with curiosity.

Before Rin could answer, Mari effortlessly hopped back, leaping over the deep crater Rin had carved into the ground with her rapier.

"I don't know," Rin replied, gripping her weapon tightly. "He said he has his ways. As for how… only he knows."

In an instant, Mari moved. She blurred toward Rin, grabbing her around the waist before slamming her down onto the ground with incredible force. Before Rin could recover, Mari straddled her, pinning her in place.

"Such a shame," Mari whispered, her face hovering just above Rin's. Then she leaned in even closer, brushing her fingers through Rin's hair, stroking it gently.

"You know… you don't look half bad," she murmured, her voice dripping with seduction. "Would you like to experience deflowering?"

A faint glow flickered in Rin's eyes.

Before Mari could react, an invisible force exploded outward, sending her flying through the air. She crashed into a cluster of trees, the impact splintering them into pieces.

Then, laughter echoed through the clearing.

"So, are you done joking around?" Rin asked.

As if on cue, Mari rose from the pile of broken wood, completely unscathed. She dusted off her magical girl outfit before vanishing in a blur, reappearing behind Rin in an instant.

"Yeah, I'm done," she said casually, brushing dirt from her sleeves. Then she glanced at Rin with a smirk. "Though, I have to say, you took that a lot more seriously than I expected."

"I don't find jokes like that funny," Rin replied coldly.

Without another word, she swung her rapier. A fierce gust of wind spiraled around her blade before launching toward Mari, tearing through the ground in its path. But Mari sidestepped effortlessly, the attack leaving a deep crater where she had just stood.

"Jeez, that could have ruined my dress, you know," Mari sighed, inspecting her outfit. "It takes a lot of effort to clean this."

Rin exhaled, clearly growing impatient. "Tell me why you're here."

"Just paying a visit to our not-so-friendly new magical girl," Mari said with a playful tone.

"Spare me the theatrics and get to the point," Rin snapped, tightening her grip on the rapier.

Mari's expression shifted. She closed her eyes, inhaled deeply, then exhaled. When she opened them again, the warmth in her gaze had vanished, replaced by a cold, detached look.

"Tell me… what do you intend to do?" she asked. "Tsumi told me you hate and despise the little things we do to make ourselves happy."

"Nothing… I simply don't have the means, even if it disgusts me to say it," Rin admitted, dematerializing her rapier.

It would be unwise to make enemies so soon. I don't have the power I need yet… I must follow what he said.

Ezakiel had warned her—no matter what happened, she was not to interfere with what the other magical girls were doing. Even if their actions repulsed her, even if they were beyond depraved, she had to endure.

What he had told her was only a brief glimpse, and that alone had been enough to make her shudder. She didn't even want to imagine the full extent of their depravity.

But he had been clear: Deal with them later. When you've gathered enough strength to kill them in a single attack. Until then, avoid antagonizing them as much as possible.

And so, for now, she would wait.

"And what will you do if you do have the means?" Mari asked, her tone curious.

"I haven't decided yet. There are more pressing matters to deal with than that," Rin replied.

Mari's expression suddenly shifted back to her usual playful demeanor. "Yeah, I agree. There are plenty of other important things. But don't forget what I said—I can be very vengeful and cruel if you interfere with what I do."

"I know…" Rin said, then paused before adding, "Can I ask you something, if you don't mind?"

Mari smirked. "And what is it, my dear Rin?"

"Tell me… why do you do these things?" Rin asked, watching her closely.

Mari raised an eyebrow. "Why do I do such things, you ask?" She leaned in slightly, amusement dancing in her eyes. "Didn't your friend tell you already?"

"Nah, he was a bit cryptic about it," Rin admitted.

"Then listen…" Mari said, her voice carrying an unusual seriousness.

"I was born an orphan—or rather, not exactly an orphan. I had a mother, but she abandoned me at an orphanage."

She turned away, taking a few slow steps before stopping under the moonlight. Her gaze lifted to the sky.

"I lived there until I was five, then a family adopted me. The husband wanted a…" She trailed off, pausing as if reconsidering her words. Then, with a small sigh, she continued, "Actually, if I told you the whole story, we'd be here all night. I just realized that."

Turning back to face Rin, a small smirk played on her lips.

"I'll keep it short. I do these things because I believe the love between a blood-related parent and child is the purest form of love. Every parent should experience it. And for me… it makes life a bit more sparky."

."I see..." Rin said, her expression unreadable.

"Well then, I gotta go," Mari said, stretching her arms above her head. "But before that, I'll give you a piece of advice."

"And what is it?" Rin asked, her tone wary.

Mari lowered her arms and looked at her with a rare hint of seriousness. "Stay away from Tsumi. I fear she'll do very, very bad things to you if you get involved in her affairs. Things so twisted that even I shudder to think about them."

With that, she raised her hand high, and a swirling portal opened in the sky. Without another word, she flew into it, disappearing from sight, leaving Rin alone with her thoughts.