Inside the Theresa's mansion.
Bronie looked somewhat amused, as if she'd suddenly remembered something funny.
With a teasing glint in her eyes, she looked toward Theresa, as if waiting to see what kind of reaction she might get.
"That feeling… still really cute, right? Especially that particular 'Tiri'—don't you think she's even cuter than a certain current St. Freya principal?"
"You—!"
Theresa bit her lip in irritation and let out a cold snort.
"Hmph—! Bronie! Why don't you just go ahead and say my name?! That hint was way too obvious!"
Her relationship with Bronie wasn't bad—in fact, it might've been a perfect pairing of mischievous student and eternally youthful teacher. Or maybe it was thanks to how well Bronie understood the other world's version of Theresa.
Regardless, the two often ended up playing games together, and through that, a small but genuine friendship had formed.
Of course, she didn't want others learning from this and letting Theresa run into more trouble because of it.
To Bronie, the two Theresas from different worlds had far too many similarities. She often forgot that this Theresa wasn't her Theresa, and so she sometimes acted overly familiar without meaning to.
"Saying the name directly would ruin the fun. C'mon, Principal, hurry up and change into your Magical Girl outfit and pose for us a little—don't give up so easily!"
Bronie joked, wearing a wide grin.
—Especially when she recalled how "Tiri" secretly brewed a different kind of potion.
"Ah, she even secretly researched a potion that could make her taller? What a shame the side effects were too big... Sigh, no matter what world we're in, she's always obsessed with this topic."
Her eyes glittered with amusement, causing everyone nearby to burst into stifled laughter—except for Theresa, whose face was turning increasingly red.
After all, everyone knew who was most sensitive about the topic of height.
"... Height doesn't matter! It's—it's not important at all!"
Theresa waved her arms with great force, her face reddening even further.
"Ahh, it all feels like some kind of science fair. Potions, gemstones, exams... Why does everything have to be academic? I just can't do this~"
Kiana groaned beside her, looking like she had bitten into a bitter melon.
Messing around with the Principal was usually fun—
But now, as she gradually absorbed the concepts introduced in this alternate universe, her ideas were being shattered. This version of a Magical Girl didn't seem very proper at all. It was completely different from the magical girls she was used to seeing in anime.
If magic requires tests and assessments... then what's the point?
She had thought that once you learned magic, you wouldn't need to study for exams. But if the process just added more exams, then learning magic was just a waste!
She was clearly disgruntled. Her dreams of an effortless magical girl life evaporated. She had lost all hope.
"Yeah, it might be hopeless... But that's not necessarily a bad thing, right?"
Mei chuckled softly as she watched Kiana deflate, reaching out to gently pat her head in comfort.
"At least it doesn't go beyond what we can understand. And honestly, if there really were illogical magic in this world, and the boss summoned it here, who knows what kind of chaos would break out?"
She spoke quietly, casting a few sidelong glances in Luo Mo's direction.
She was curious too. Would this new world bring in any new companions?
But if someone were to join next, "Teriri" seemed like the best fit... The only issue was that there were already three Theresas here.
If this continued... she had a strong feeling Rita's sanity might break down soon.
"Ahem—I don't think... that'll happen... probably?"
Luo Mo coughed twice, trying to explain. He paused briefly, clearly unsure of his own words.
"Even when I first realized this auntie game was from a parallel Magical Girl world, I honestly couldn't believe my eyes... But if we're talking about actually summoning someone into this world—this level of magic can't possibly compete with Honkai."
Kiana chimed in disdainfully, her tone full of personal bias. She paid no attention to the increasingly dark expression on Theresa's face, continuing her fantasy of how wonderful it would be if only she could become a Magical Girl.
"Kiana~! Stop dreaming! Even if Sirin became a magical girl, you still wouldn't make the cut! Not even if Durandal became one!"
Theresa snapped and jumped up, giving Kiana a mighty smack to assert her "auntie" authority.
"Ow—geez..."
Kiana covered her head in pain, not daring to speak. Dang it, everyone was teasing the Principal, but she was the only one who got whacked for it.
Still... after hearing what Theresa said, she couldn't help but imagine—for just a moment—what it would be like if Durandal wore that outfit.
Would her noble spirit and sense of justice somehow increase? Would she wear a pink frilly dress with a serious expression?
At the very least, it wasn't something Kiana had ever seen before.
But no matter how she imagined it... that vibe just did not match!
-----
In the game, early the next morning, the girls were ready to continue the plan from the previous day.
First, they needed to leave the city and find the magic library. Inside, they'd have to locate the required magic tomes and alchemy formulas.
This, without question, was a task prohibited by the Magic Security Bureau, and they would still have to deal with hunters pursuing them.
And along the way, they encountered some unexpected individuals.
For example...
"Pointed ears, red eyes, long white hair... You must be Teriri, right?"
A short girl wielding a giant sword blocked the road. Bathed in the soft morning sunlight, she didn't look dangerous, but there was still an undeniable sense of pressure about her.
A lightning ninja and a lively girl dressed in red and blue had come knocking.
These two, also from another world, collided directly with Bronie and her group.
Coincidentally, they too had accepted Teriri's commission and even had a copy of the commission certificate—clearly, their goals weren't friendly.
Normally, a commission could only be accepted by one party. But now two rival groups had shown up, facing off against each other.
Tension instantly surged between the two sides.
Bronie's expression turned contemplative as she observed the cold-faced Kasumi. Delta's eyes, equally cold, locked onto the mysteriously smiling Irene.
And in the middle stood the girl of the hour—Teriri—nervously pulling on both sides, trying to defuse the situation and prevent a fight.
After a fierce verbal standoff, a third-party enemy suddenly appeared from outside, momentarily easing the tension as they turned to face a common foe.
At least for the next short leg of the journey, everyone could continue traveling together—for now.
Just how far this awkward and fragile alliance would go, no one knew.
---
In the Golden Courtyard.
"Pointed ears, red eyes… honestly, that description is pretty spot on... But it seems like all those people are staying in the same villa, and they seem connected to Luo Mo. I wonder what their relationship is?"
"Wait... I heard they were all summoned by Luo Mo. Mei even mentioned the magic circle a few times. Don't tell me—Luo Mo is also a Magical Girl!?"
(T/C: pfffft!)
Elysia was shocked by her own bold theory, then immediately her eyes lit up. She felt like she had found the key.
So… were all these summoned "products" of Luo Mo actually born from some unreasonable form of magic?
Pardo twitched at the corners of her mouth. After imagining Luo Mo transforming into a Magical Girl, she instantly tossed the mental image aside and hurried to stop Elysia from thinking any further nonsense.
"Ely-sis... please no. What even are you thinking? Even if we joke, at least call him a Magical Boy or something."
Her cat ears drooped in distress, clearly defeated.
"I didn't expect gemstones to have this kind of use. Is there a magic branch specifically for gemstone magic?"
Eden was intrigued by this potential magical system. If she had to choose a type of magic, this one would likely be her pick.
After all, what she had in abundance was wealth.
If gemstones truly held incredible power, there was no reason to let them go to waste.
Still, she wondered: if other Flame-Chasers showed up in this scenario, what kind of magic would they choose? Alchemy would definitely suit Dr. Mobius... though she hadn't shown up or been mentioned much.
This tiny fantasy of Eden's fizzled away. She wondered if fairy-type magic would suit anyone.
"Even though your idea is bizarre, I have to admit… it's possible. Who knows? That guy might actually be using real magic. After all, with how many people connected to him are appearing in this story, it wouldn't be a stretch to assume he's involved behind the scenes."
"And now, among all the characters Luo Mo brought into this world, only one remains to appear in the storyline."
Mobius's eyes glinted coldly for a moment, then she showed a curious smile. She straightened her posture slightly and focused.
She admitted it—initially, she wasn't too interested in this event's story.
But with all the groundwork laid, with characters from different worlds involved, and all seemingly drawn into the real world by Luo Mo's influence... this was starting to look promising.
Moreover, the motives of Kasumi and Delta's side were becoming clearer, and the mysterious object known as "the Overlimit Point" was piquing her curiosity even further.
If such a thing really existed across worlds, what would the world that collects Overlimit Points be like?
Mobius couldn't help but contemplate this.
And there seemed to be only one possible answer.
...Honkai.
Of course, all of this was speculation. Just like how Durandal's small world had her behind the scenes as a hidden mastermind—it was just a reference, not to be taken at face value.
"You're talking about... the Scout? That's right. He's also in the same boat, and we haven't seen him appear yet ♪~"
Elysia picked up the conversation gleefully, her eyes sparkling.
She was still full of hope for the story. So far, only a few people had taken the stage—it wasn't a complete story yet. But she loved the moments when everyone stood on the stage together, even if that meant the tale was nearing its end.
But so what?
She didn't dislike stories like this, whether they ended in triumph or failure.
----
Even though they faced pursuit from the Hunters and restrictions from the so-called Magic Security Bureau...
Thanks to the combined efforts of the four who didn't entirely share the same goals, leaving the city still went smoothly.
Each of them had their own motives, yet it seemed that everything subtly revolved around Teriri. She was the one who had commissioned the request, and along the way, the group took responsibility for ensuring her safety.
But then, a golden-eyed girl with white hair appeared—shattering the relative calm of their journey.
Originally, Teriri's request was to reach the library outside the city to help her finish her graduation thesis. But Sirin's sudden appearance and her conversation with Teriri clearly denied that version of the story.
From the start, Sirin tried to persuade Special Leli to return, telling her not to keep risking herself on this quest...
"Graduation... Thesis...? What are you even talking about? Didn't Teriri graduate a long time ago?"
Sirin frowned. The people trying to speak "nobly" on Teriri's behalf only made her more impatient, and this particular issue confused her even more.
"Sirin... please just go back... I... I'm not..."
Teriri lowered her head, fingers clutching her skirt, her voice dropping to a murmur. Her words sounded like even she couldn't believe them.
The setting sun cast golden light over them, and a cold breeze swept by, calming the tense air.
Everyone fell silent in thought. No one had expected that this entire commission might've been a deception—what had seemed like a simple escort job now hinted at deeper meaning.
The light slowly shifted across Sirin's face. Her initial surprise gave way to full-blown anger.
Her pupils widened, and her breathing quickened. She was beginning to understand what Teriri truly intended to do.
And that only stoked her fury further, as she stared hard at Teriri—whose eyes, in contrast, were becoming resolute, unwavering.
"Teriri, you haven't forgotten what happened here, have you?"
"Do you really want... to walk the same path they did?"
Her voice trembled, blazing with fury, but buried deep in her eyes was not hatred for Leli... but something else—disgust, fear... for what that path meant.
But Teriri looked up. With a poise that didn't match the timid girl she had been on the journey so far, she met Sirin's gaze and shouted:
"I haven't forgotten! And I won't take a single step in that direction you mentioned!"
"I won't let what happened to them... be in vain!"
"You... Enough!"
A tragic story from years ago slowly began to unfold between the two.
There had once been four Magical Girls—born from the tradition of defeating the Demon King. But now, only two remained...
From the conversation between Sirin and Theresa, it became clear that originally, there were four Magical Girls. In the end, only two survived. Broboli and Vollerei had died heroically.
In a time once filled with youthful joy and sunshine, they sacrificed themselves at the Demon King's fortress—just to save Sirin and Teriri.
The story was not difficult to piece together. From the two girls' dialogue and comparing it to any classic hero vs. demon lord tale, most of the picture became clear. Yet he—Luo Mo—was still intrigued by some of the specific names.
"Brobeli~?"
Kiana tilted her head, chuckling slyly as she glanced toward the petite girl beside her.
"Hmph..."
Bronya turned her head away, unwilling to acknowledge Kiana's teasing.
Once you responded to her… well, those ears would never find peace again.
"Vollerei... That's such a strange name. Isn't she usually just called Seele?"
Seele's cheeks flushed pink as she averted her gaze, lowering her voice:
"Sometimes they call me Hill," Luo Mo added with certainty.
"Huh...?"
Seele blinked in confusion, staring blankly at Luo Mo, struggling to grasp the difference between the names.
"Boss, something's wrong."
Bronya crossed her arms, casting a glance at the source of the confusion.
Seele had no choice but to quietly back down.
As for whatever "dark Seele" was starting to stir within her, she chose to ignore it... for now.
"But wait—how come Bronya and Seele didn't die in the story? Shouldn't we have heard some tragic news by now?"
Theresa rubbed her temples, feeling a strange sense of déjà vu. Another group of young girls facing danger as their profession… and especially now, being constantly obstructed by the so-called Magic Security Bureau...
It felt eerily familiar—like Valkyries.
"Don't you get it? Being a Magical Girl is like being a Valkyrie. It's always been a dangerous line of work…"
Luo Mo said meaningfully.
"..."
Theresa stared at him, her mouth agape.
Since when did being a Magical Girl become a hazardous profession?
Weren't Magical Girls supposed to embody justice and love? Weren't "cuteness" and "adorableness" their trademarks?
Don't get her wrong—she wasn't calling herself cute or anything.
But... "dangerous"? That word just didn't connect at all with the image of magical, pretty girls.
Theresa simply couldn't understand it.