Something warm trickled onto Takako’s face, falling like a gentle rain. Her entire body screamed in agony, almost making her wish for death. Yet, the rain soothed her, bolstering her spirit. Her eyes flickered open, her vision indistinct and blurry. Takako tried speaking, but only a deep moan escaped her lips.

“T-Takako, you’re alive!” Someone cried, overcome with joy. Takako blinked, finding Aiko standing above her, tears cascading down her cheeks.

“Aiko?” The sound of birds chirping caught her attention and one stared at her for a moment before fluttering off. The smell of damp grass struck her nostrils next and memories flooded into her, remembering what had happened. That jerk Ume had left her to die in this clearing!

Her friend placed a finger over Takako’s lips. “Don’t talk. Save your strength.”

Takako could only manage a weak nod. Nier appeared beside Aiko, relieved beyond words. Was it Takako’s imagination, or had her fairy partner been crying?

“I’d thought we’d lost you. It’s a miracle you’re even alive!” Neir said. Takako managed a weak laugh. Who did her fairy partner think he was speaking to? Takako was basically unkillable. Her eyes widened when she realized the culprit who’d caused her current condition was still free to cause mischief. A gentle hand pressed Takako down before she attempted anything reckless.

“You aren’t in any condition to fight,” Aiko said, her tone admonishing. “Let Seina handle it. She’s good at taking care of herself.”

Great. Now I’m letting Seina do the hard work and take the credit! Her spirit was eager for payback, but even twitching a finger felt like a monumental task in her condition.

“Let’s get you somewhere safe,” Aiko grunted in pain as she attempted to pull her friend onto her back. Dirt cascaded off her back and legs as Takako left the ground. Great, her favorite outfit was probably ruined! “The temple isn’t far.”

Blood soaked into Aiko’s dress, but she didn’t complain. She strained under the effort of carrying Takako, somehow climbing the steep hill leading up towards it by herself. Nier hovered around them, fluttering around nervously.

The temple was pitch black as Aiko pulled open the doors. She jerked painfully as an enormous Buddha statue came into view, mentally slapping herself for getting startled. Its face was serene, somehow easing her trouble. A colorful altar sat beneath it covered with candles and a stone jar for incense. Aiko used some matches to illuminate the room. From the flickering flames, Takako saw dust and grime, untouched for years. Fresh agony screamed through her body as the dust made Takako sneeze. Exhausted by her efforts, Aiko placed her friend on the padded floor with the least amount of dust.

“It isn’t much, but it’s better than the outdoors. I’ll see if there's anything to treat wounds with. I’m uncertain if magical girls can get infections, but I’m not risking it.” Aiko disappeared into a far door. She returned in triumph, first aid kit in hand.

“Do you think it’s safe to use expired antiseptic?” Aiko studied a small pouch, reading its instructions. “Oh well. It can’t hurt.”

“Let me.” Neir floated above his partner, applying the cream with his paws, while Aiko prepared the bandages. The antiseptic stung, but Nier’s gentle paws reduced its impact. A pang of shame struck Takako. Her fairy partner was being so kind towards her, but she’d only ever treated him like dirt.

“Thanks.” Her gratitude seemed inadequate considering how much still remained unsaid between them.

How do you atone for hundreds of years of ill-treatment? Still, it was a start.

The bandages and antiseptic were doing a better job than Takako had expected. Already her pain numbed. An hour and she’d be strong enough to use her gun. She spent the time describing her encounter with the rogue magical girl, Ume Akiyama, Coneflower Purity.

“Sounds like a real jerk,” Aiko said, huffing in annoyance. “She just assumed you’re an enemy without talking first. Who does that?”

“One hellbent psychotic crusader,” Takako replied. “She seems on a one-girl mission against the entirety of Starlight Dream!”

“I just know Seina will hate her!” Aiko said, stifling a laugh.

Great, we find a potential ally, and they’re Ume, of all people. And if Seina expected them to become friends, then she could forget it! Her rival was too kind a person. Hopefully, Seina would clobber some sense into Ume.

Still, the fact the dark magical girl had reduced her to this pathetic state made Takako’s ears burn. To rub the salt in deeper, she laid in the temple of a master she’d never have. It seemed silly, but Takako feared she couldn’t become stronger. She didn’t possess Seina’s unbreakable will or fortitude.

And now I’m feeling sorry for myself. What a mess I am! Takako hated losing, but despised self-reflection even more. She always came short compared to the undefeated badass Takako liked to present herself as.

“Are you okay, Takako?” Aiko asked, picking up on Takako’s whirling emotions.

“I guess. I took the loss harder than expected.” Takako replied.

Neir scowled. “The situation just got worse. A powerful presence had appeared. It seems likely it belongs to a lieutenant of the Devil Princesses.”

“Oh.”

“Oh? The situation justifies more than just an oh!” Neir snapped.

“Can you sense Seina? Is she okay?” Aiko asked, concerned.

Takako extended her magical girl senses. Even untransformed and gravely injured, she could detect other magical girls, especially powerful ones. She sensed a slight blip some distance away. Like Seina, her sugar-sweet presence was unmistakable.

“She’s okay,” Takako fought back her panic. “But if she’s facing a lieutenant, she can’t win!”

“Why not? Siena’s super strong!” Aiko asked.

“Nothing compared to an elite magical girl!” Worse, many have abilities that make Siena’s raw strength useless. A certain old acquiesce back in magical girl training camp came to mind.

Damn you, Ume. You picked the worst time to screw everything up! Her rival would need Takako’s help. It would be a minor edge, but the situation was too desperate to complain. Would the world survive long enough for her to regain her strength? Some lieutenants were infamous for their casual callousness, breaking planets as an afterthought. If it meant hurting Seina’s spirit, the lieutenant might do it. The poor girl’s fragile heart couldn’t take losing her world.

“Let’s get going then,” Aiko said, surprising everyone.

“What? But Takako’s injured!” Nier said in protest.

With gentle hands, Aiko pulled her friend up. Confidence radiated from her wave. “Do you think you can transform?”

Takako made a vague gesture with her body, making it clear how well she could move. Not much.

“Not a problem.” Aiko carefully placed Takako’s brooch in her hand and gently closed her fingers over it with her own. “Now, say the words.”

For a split second, Takako doubted she’d even have the strength to transform. Her friend’s absolute confidence, however, made her doubts vanish like smoke. Seina was in danger and needed her.

“Change Change, Magical Love Geno…” Takako paused, feeling foolish. Hadn’t she abandoned all ties to Starlight Dream? She didn’t need to use their chant anymore. “Change Change, Magical Love Dress Up!”

The light emanating from her brooch sputtered, and Takako feared the transformation would fail. Aiko’s firm grip reassured her though and after a moment her dress appeared in a flash. A strange lightness came over Takako. Despite the pain from her injuries, she hadn’t felt this good in years. She summoned her white pistol and Aiko helped her to point it towards her chest and pull the trigger.

“Healing shot!” In an instant, the pain wracking her middle vanished as if it’d never existed. Takako stretched an experimental arm, which moved with ease. Her entire body drifted like it was airborne.

She stared at her white pistol and dismissed it. Somehow, it didn’t belong anymore. After doing their ultimate duty, the weapons had lost their purpose. They belonged to the old, lost Takako. What did this mean, though? Who was she now?

Her eyes turned towards where she sensed Seina. She was fast moving towards the lieutenant, undoubtedly trying to stop her from enacting some great evil with her typical recklessness.

“Neir, watch over Aiko,” Takako said, heading towards a window.

Neir’s expression turned pensive. “Are you sure? You know how powerful of a foe you’re going against.”

Takako resumed her usual smug, self-satisfied air. “Compared to me, what chance does she have? Besides, I have Seina as my sidekick!”

“Good luck!” Aiko grabbed Takako’s hand and gripped Nier’s tiny paw to give them both reassurance. Takako realized just how brave a face her friend was putting forth for her sake.

Lost for words, Takako only nodded and darted out the window. With deft steps, she ran towards her rival, praying Seina would do anything foolish before she arrived. Another presence caught her attention, causing a stab of irritation. It must be that Ume girl again. It seemed she was also gunning towards the lieutenant. Would she get in the way again? It didn’t matter. Takako had new tricks up her sleeve and was eager to test them against the self-righteous busy buddy.

---

Lilha sighed and yawned, throwing her work outfit aside on a chair. A startled rat, disturbed by sudden movement, scurried by. The ex-vampire queen didn’t even twitch and collapsed onto her battered couch. While not capable of physical tiredness, the grueling dullness of her forced profession placed her into a lethargic mood.

A brightly colored object caught her eyes on an end table and she turned to find a magazine sitting on its surface. It was an issue of Takako’s favorite manga magazine. The smiling faces of the cartoony characters mocked Lilha and she crushed the issue into a ball with her hands before tossing it into a corner.

“Yes, take that!” Lilha laughed to herself, taking delight in ruining something her enemy loved. Her mood sank once again when she realized what a petty victory she’d obtained, cheeks reddening with embarrassment.

Was this the level the mighty vampire queen had sunk to? Was this what she now considered a victory against her hated magical girl enemies? How pathetic.

She leaned back against her couch, hand sitting on her forehead, returning to her lethargic mood. Even her hatred against her foes seemed pointless, like raging against a storm. Her ire meant nothing when she couldn’t affect what she hated.

“Finally! Do you know how difficult it was to track you down?” An unfamiliar voice said, making Lilha jerk in surprise.

She turned to discover a black-haired girl in a white flowery dress standing in her living room. The girl’s face twisted in disgust as she studied the contents of Lilha’s squalor living quarters. A tiny figure darted past her feet and the girl screamed in terror and jumped onto a table upon realizing it was a rat.

“How can you live in this place?” The girl said, trembling. Her voice heighted in pitch when she noticed something scurrying in a corner. “Is that a cockroach?”

“What are you doing in my apartment?” Lilha said her tone flat.

Realizing the ridiculousness of her current position, her visitor stood tall on Lilha’s table and coughed. “Consider yourself blessed. For I’ve arrived to fix the terrible state of the world you’ve found yourself in.”

“Right,” Lilha said, unimpressed. “Who are you?” She looked upon her unwanted guest with closer eyes and a terrible suspension came to her mind. “Are you another magical girl?”

“Emiyo Ejiri. Candytuft Entropy. The third lieutenant of the Devil Princesses.” The girl puffed out her chest.

“Oh.” Lilha stared, dumbstruck.

Takako had mentioned the Devil Princess. They were the secret nightmare rulers of the multiverse that sought to bring terror and suffering to all existence. That meant the Devil Princess had finally come to address the rogue element that was Seina. A spark of hope lit in Lilha’s heart. That hope was quickly dashed against a cliff when she remembered how well the situation had gone with Takako, who also claimed to be Seina’s eternal enemy. They were friends now, for goodness’ sake!

“Why are you here?” Lilha leaned back on her ratty couch, losing heart.

“Aren’t you the Vampire Queen?” Emiyo asked. “My old reports said this planet had a king and queen vampire. You were doing an excellent job making the humans of this planet suffer. The last quote said almost 98.3 percent of humanity was enslaved and forced into grueling pointless labor. An efficient system from what I’ve read!”

“Ancient history!” Lilha didn’t hide her bitterness. “All thanks to Seina.”

Emiyo’s face twisted into a scowl. “Her. I’ve met her. A real nuisance. Never fear. I’ll deal with her. She’s only a weak, pitiful child. Lieutenants of the Devil Princesses are unbeatable.”

Lilha didn’t hide her skepticism. She opened her mouth to voice these doubts, but each word came out slurred, impossible to understand. No, not slurred. The words had stuck on her tongue. Worse, her body became frozen, stuck in a place like being trapped in amber.

The magical girl, however, seemed unaffected. She moved at speeds that made Lilha’s head spin with dizziness. She shrugged and picked up the magazine Lilha had dropped. After flattening its pages against an end table, she read, laughing whenever she read something amusing. Lilha remained trapped, each word leaving her mouth at a maddening slow speed. By the time Emiyo had finished the entire magazine, Lilha still hadn’t uttered a single syllable.

Her entire body jerked as time resumed to normal and Lilha topped over, sweat matting her forehead. What madness was this?

Emiyo smiled in amusement, catching her panicked thoughts. “Seina’s only a bothersome insect. In our fight, I didn’t even use a tenth of my true power. She can’t even touch me. Though, it doesn’t make her less annoying. But you can help me.”

“Me? How?” Lilha fought back her terror, in dawning horror of the precariousness of her situation. If she displeased Emiyo even slightly, Lilha would be dusted in milliseconds, beyond defenseless against it.

“Yes, you’ve had dealings with her. Together, I’m sure we can devise an effective plan to eliminate her. The fool’s still roaming around somewhere, not abandoning the planet like she should.”

That’s not surprising. Such a weak-hearted girl. Lilha regained her courage. While still respectful, she refused to be seen as a mulling weakling. “And the reward?”

“Simple. You’ve proven an effective administrator. You’ll return to power and the work can resume as usual.”

Normal. She almost couldn’t believe her ears. Could this be an actual shot towards redemption? Yet her doubts remained. The traitor Takako had said something similar.

“I’m in.” Someone said, They both jerked in surprise when they noticed the figure in the doorway. Lilha’s jaw dropped at the pink-dressed muscular man she recognized too well.

“D-Dreven.”

“None other.” The unkillable vampire warrior smirked, bowing with respect towards the magical girl and his once queen. “Though I go by Lotus Butcher now.”

There was a pause of silence as Lilha processed the warrior’s new attire, the puffy sleeves! The lace! The short skirt!. Her will shattered, and she blurted out what everyone had on their mind. “Why are you dressed like Seina? Why the magical girl outfit?!”

“Yes, why?” Emiyo stood stock still, unable to steal her eyes away from the bizarre sight.

“To mock everything Seina stands for,” Dreven replied.

“What?! How does that answer my question?” Dreven didn’t even seem to register Lilha’s outburst, switching his attention to Emiyo instead.

“We share the same goal. I propose an alliance to ferment Seina’s destruction!” A wicked grin extended across his face.

“R-right,” Emiyo said, hedging her words cautiously, still unable to drag her eyes away from the sight in front of her. “That sounds acceptable.”

Dreven must have gotten brain damage in space. It’s the only explanation. Still, at least the immortal warrior hadn’t lost his vicious streak. Lilha huffed out a snort. “Okay, we create an alliance. What next? You have a plan, right?”

“Naturally, who’s taken charge of the world after your defeat?” Emiyo said.

“The new prime minister.” Much to Lilha’s dismay, the once slave was doing a remarkable job keeping the nation together. Many other countries weren’t so lucky. In a hundred years, Lilha doubted the world map would resemble anything like days before the Darkness. Despite the power struggles, humanity still had a hateable determination to rebuild their world. They would be challenging to reconquer. Seina had given the humans hope.

What am I worried about? Our vampiric abilities outstrip anything a human can contest again. Never mind, stripping them of their foolish, empty hope should be a simple matter. Despair would reign across the planet forever once again.

Emiyo puzzled over the same problems. “No matter. Show me to the leader of this nation. It’d be an excellent start. And tell me more about Seina. Who can we target to hurt her heart?”

“That, I can answer. Better yet, it coincides with both goals.” The Prime Minister had become a father figure for little Seina. How the whelp would weep for his mutilated corpse. Even if her latest scheme failed, the damage she’d wrought would be terrible. Unlike the traitor Takako, this magical girl took delight in hurting others. Their purposes matched exquisitely.

“Let’s go. We have a world to burn.” Lilha smirked, knowing her first act to hurt Seina.

---

“Slow down.” Seina jerked as Ume suddenly appeared before her, using her annoying portal powers to break ahead.

“Do you mind? I’m busy.” Seina had no patience for this murderous interloper. Too much was at stake. Her target had disappeared, and a horrible pit formed in her stomach. She had a bad feeling. The streets were empty as Seina sulked through them, eyes darting around, searching for trouble. The sun was already almost sinking into the sea, meaning Seina’s curfew wasn’t long away.

“Would you listen to me already?” Ume said, also losing her patience. “I’m the senior magical girl here. Listen to me! You don’t know what Emiyo’s like! She...”

“I don’t care.” Seina snapped, interrupting Ume’s prattling. “Quit getting in my way. I know what I’m doing. I’m a veteran of countless battles!” Mostly battles against vampires that had ended in mere seconds, but Seina figured they counted, anyway.

“Stupid, stubborn girl!” Ume’s breathing intensified, so angry Seina feared flames would stream from her nostrils. “Whatever. I’m not leaving.”

The other magical girl paused and took a calming breath. After regaining herself, Ume took stock of her surroundings. Her brow furrowed in thought. “Why would Emiyo come here? It’s a dump.”

Seina’s hackles rose, taking offense at the comment. “It’s not surprising, considering. Don’t judge by appearances. These are still high-end apartments. The vampires didn’t leave us much to live in.”

Besides, Seina thought the term slums was unkind. They provided a roof over your heads, wasn’t that enough? It made her feel guilty that she enjoyed the Prime Minister’s private apartments, which boasted comforts far beyond the old Seina’s imagination. It was home to the finest furnishings a person could find. There was running hot water, unbroken windows, and didn’t even have rats! Seina feared the PM was spoiling her rotten.

“Okay.” Seina’s outrage had mortified the other magical girl, not understanding the anger. Instead of arguing, Ume brought the conversation back on track. “Why would Emiyo come here?”

“To visit someone?” Seina said, throwing out her first random theory. “We should ask around, and…” She paused, spotting a young boy poking his head from a doorway. His eyes darted around, nervously searching for something. Whatever it was didn’t appear, and he sighed in relief.

“Excuse me!” Seina ran over, waving to get the boy’s attention. “Is something the matter?”

The boy’s eyes widened when he caught sight of Seina, awestruck. “It’s you. The magical girl, Seina!”

“That’s me.” Seina dragged her heel across the ground, finding herself self-conscious.

Relief flooded into the boy’s expression. “Thank goodness! I saw the vampire everyone’s been talking about! You know, the imposter!”

“What?” Ume said, not understanding, but Seina understood exactly who he was referring to. A horrible pit formed in her stomach. He wasn’t dead again? If that vampire was poking around, Seina doubted it’d end well.

“There’s a vampire who enjoys posing as me, trying to ruin my reputation. A real monster. He’s already cost several people their lives!” She opened her mouth to mention his odd dressing habits but laughed to herself when she remembered how Takako had reacted to his unexpected attire. Best keep the details vague for the time being.

“Is something funny?” A low growl emitted from the back of Ume’s throat. “We’re in a dire situation!”

“I know.” Seina turned her attention to her information source. “What was the imposter doing here? Was he with someone?”

The boy considered this question. From his starry-eyed expression, he clearly wanted to impress his hero. “Two girls. One older, the other our age. They went south.”

“Thank you!” After a friendly wave, Seina sped off in the indicated direction, not bothering to check if Ume was following.

Was Emiyo teamed up with the same vampire she’d seen with Takako? There’d been something familiar about the dark-eyed women, but Seina couldn’t remember where. Whatever it probably didn’t matter. All vampires looked the same anyway, with their vaguely pretty, gaunt features and pale skin. At least Dreven had the decency to wear something other than black!

Her steps faltered when a nasty suspicion stuck in her mind, then her speed increased, vanishing before Ume could catch up. A lump formed in her throat when she approached the entrance to the executive apartment suite. Two bodies lay on the ground motionless, blood oozing from gapping chest wounds. Seina shook with unbridled emotion, the guards that always greeted her with a smile were dead. Worse, she’s never learned their names, another thoughtless causality in history.

“If I’d known it’d hurt you that badly, I would have killed hundreds on my way here.” A mocking voice said from above. “Nah, I’d kill the entire worthless city. I don’t appreciate my suffering quota being disrupted.”

“Where is the Prime Minister?” Seina dared not call him Uncle Kenji, fearing that Emiyo might use their connection against her.

“Here.”

Seina froze as a body dropped from the second story to her feet. No, it couldn’t be. No!

“Uncle Kenji!” She ran towards the body, praying that she was wrong, that her old friend hadn’t also met a cruel fate. Tears welled in her eyelids unbidden. She pushed over the body, fearing the worst, and found a young man in his twenties with freckles. It wasn’t Kenji, but someone else dressed in his usual neatly pressed green suit. Much to her surprise, the older man was alive! He groaned, gasping in pain from the long fall.

“The look on your face? Priceless!” Emiyo said, laughing in amusement. “Thanks for confirming how much you care about your Uncle Kenji!”

Seana’s tears evaporate, her face turning in hard, cold steel. Her words contained a quiet fury that promised payback. “Where is he?”

“Alive,” Emiyo said airily. “But if you want him returned, you need to do me a favor. Prove to me you can be a real magical girl. If you want your Uncle Kenji back, snap that man’s neck.”