Magical Girl

Chapter 5

Marlene seemed to be back in her cozy little room. The soft bed, the warm blankets, and her little cat curled up like a furry ball at her feet. She was dozing off to the sound of a TV show, and the air was filled with the scent of fruit and milk tea.

In the dream, everything was so peaceful and serene that Marlene couldn’t help but smile.

When she woke up, it was already late at night.

By then, the aftermath of the rain had set in. Marlene felt light-headed, her body shivering with cold, and her head felt like it was boiling. Each breath felt like burnt air, and even thinking was a struggle.

Marlene understood that she had a fever.

In times without antibiotics, a fever could easily be fatal. She desperately needed medicine and rest, but now, stranded in the wilderness and nearly penniless, she had none of those things.

She struggled to get off the wagon, and by this time, everyone had already set up camp and was preparing to rest. In the dim light of night, the campfire flickered, sending up steam from boiling water and the aroma of freshly baked bread. Someone by the fire was singing, their voice and silhouette seemingly distant, separated from Marlene by an invisible barrier. In her feverish haze, it all seemed like it belonged to another world.

Her last meal had been a serving of mashed potatoes the night before, which was long gone by now. But due to the severity of her fever, her senses were dulled, and she didn’t feel hungry at all.

The wagon Marlene was riding in carried spare hay for the mules and some miscellaneous items. Someone came over to retrieve something and, like shooing away a stray dog, rudely pushed Marlene aside.

She could barely stand; a light shove sent her toppling to the ground.

Marlene struggled to her feet and looked around. The night was dark, and no one seemed to notice her.

By the edge of the woods, there was a small stream where the horses, now unharnessed from the wagons, were drinking and grazing. Marlene licked her cracked lips and made her way to the stream.

She took a small bean cake from her bundle, now softened by rainwater, and forced herself to eat a few bites. She had no appetite, but reason told her that if she didn’t eat something, she’d soon collapse, so she compelled herself to eat.

She drank from the stream alongside the horses and wet a handkerchief with the cold water to press against her face. The icy shock helped her feel a bit more alert.

If only she had medicine. She knew that travelers like these probably carried some basic supplies, including medicine, though it was precious in this era. Without a penny to her name, it was unlikely anyone would be willing to offer help.

But if she didn’t try, she had no hope. Summoning all her strength, Marlene stood up and headed toward the group of people by the campfire to find Bess.

Unable to find Bess, Marlene looked at the people around her and chose a mercenary nearby, asking, “Excuse me, do you know where Bess is?”

The man grinned suggestively. “You mean the girl with the big chest? I’d advise you not to bother her.”

Marlene had no choice but to seek help from others. There were a few other travelers heading to Jetugara, but they treated Marlene like trash. As soon as she approached, they hurriedly waved her away, as if she were something filthy.

If only she could have a bowl of ginger soup, or anything hot and spicy—it would help her feel much better. But none of that was available here

The night quickly grew darker, and the people playing around the campfire quieted down as they each found a place to rest.

Of course, no one paid any attention to Marlene. She had almost no belongings. She thought about finding the hay pile, at least it would provide some warmth. But when she got there, she saw a man with a crooked grin had already taken her spot. When he saw Marlene approaching, he snarled, “Get lost.”

With no other option, Marlene had to find another place. She located a large tree on the edge of the camp, facing away from the campfire. The tree had a hollow cavity that would at least block some of the wind.

This would be her resting place for the night. Marlene wrapped herself in the few clothes she had in her small bundle, curled up tightly, and squeezed herself into the hollow of the tree.

Feverish, Marlene drifted into a heavy sleep. Someone by the campfire started snoring loudly, but it didn’t disturb Marlene—she was sleeping too deeply.

In the dead of night, the forest was eerily quiet, with only the sound of the wind rustling through the leaves.

The rain had just fallen the day before, and the night sky was starless, with only a faint, almost nonexistent moon. As if everything were asleep, the forest filled with the faint rustling of animals moving through the underbrush.

This sound slowly approached the camp. To most people, it would blend in with the gentle sound of spring rain, a lullaby for sleep. But to some, it was a signal of danger.

The first to wake was the mercenary captain. The scarred man jumped up from his makeshift blanket and grabbed his greatsword.

He listened closely, but there was nothing—no sound at all. It was as if he’d imagined it.

Still, he couldn’t fully relax. There were three mercenaries on watch tonight. He donned his armor, took his greatsword, and went to speak with each one.

“Yes, Captain. Not a single sign of anything strange, not even a rabbit,” was the response from each of the three watchmen.

The captain began to doubt his senses. Had he overreacted? Because of the muddy roads after the rain, they hadn’t traveled very far today. They were less than a day’s journey from the town and still well within human territory. There shouldn’t be any magical beasts lurking around here.

But just then, a shadow emerged silently behind him, devouring one of his mercenary comrades as swiftly as the darkness itself.

It happened in an instant. The mercenary, even as he disappeared, had a clueless smile on his face.

The captain raised his greatsword, assuming a defensive stance, and shouted, “Alert—”

That was his final word. The shadow revealed its fangs and devoured him in a single bite.

The campfire hadn’t fully died out, and in the glow of the red embers, a massive shadow loomed over the entire campsite. A woman awoke from her sleep, unable to see clearly what had appeared in the dim night. Her throat seemed to close up, and she could only manage a few barely audible words: “Ah—m-mon-monster—”

But she couldn’t finish her sentence. In the next moment, she was torn in half.

The edge of the forest had become a slaughterhouse. Some people died in their sleep, while others awoke only to be spotted and devoured by the night-visioned creature before they could even resist.

Meanwhile, far from the others, behind the campfire and facing away from the forest, a small, curled-up figure remained unnoticed by the creature. Or perhaps it had noticed her, but she was so small and insignificant that it ignored her.

Marlene heard a commotion near the campfire, and though she sensed that something was wrong, her body responded sluggishly.

Her head throbbed with pain, and she didn’t want to move, but she knew she couldn’t afford to drift back to sleep. Marlene slowly sat up, wrapping her thin clothing around herself. When she managed to stand, she had no idea that the m******e was nearing its end.

She emerged from behind the hollow tree. By now, after a night of wind, the moon had brightened considerably compared to earlier. In the moonlight, Marlene could finally see what was happening.

In front of her stood a black creature, towering as large as a house. Its claws were as big as Marlene herself, with coarse, bristling fur and a row of jagged bone spines along its back like rugged cliffs. This was unlike any animal Marlene had ever known.

It was busy tearing into something with its interlocking fangs, and when Marlene looked closer, she realized it was the body of a person.

What was this?

A wolf? A dog? A monster? How could such a creature exist in this world? Something like this shouldn’t even exist!

Could this be a magical beast?

A magical beast—really!?

Is this even the real world?

Marlene’s eyes lost focus from fear, and her entire world collapsed.

In that instant, Marlene was overwhelmed with hopeless doubt. This wasn’t the world she knew. This world was wrong! It was flawed! It was impossible!

Marlene’s body went limp, and she collapsed to the ground.

Had she been struggling all these years in such an absurd story?

—What had it all been for?

The creature noticed Marlene and abandoned the half-eaten body it was gnawing on, turning toward her.

Driven by its predatory instincts, it didn’t immediately pounce. Instead, it crouched low, readying itself to attack.

But Marlene paid no attention to its movements. At that moment, a wild thought occurred to her—maybe she should just die. Perhaps that would allow her to escape this absurd world.

Marlene closed her eyes, but as soon as she did, the scene she had just witnessed flashed before her—the torn, unrecognizable body under the creature’s filthy fangs, blood splattered, organs spilled everywhere.

Was this to be her fate?

No. Even if she had to die, Marlene didn’t want to die like this!

With that thought, Marlene’s eyes snapped open. She had to escape!

Just as she opened her eyes, a sudden purple light appeared behind the creature. The light stretched and twisted into shapes and symbols Marlene couldn’t understand. The process happened quickly—within a blink, the light converged, releasing an impact like a cannon blast.

The creature, just about to attack Marlene, let out a piercing scream as its body exploded right before her eyes.

Foul-smelling blood splattered all over Marlene’s face, and chunks of torn flesh flew off her face, leaving her stunned on the spot.

It took her a couple of seconds to process, but the stench and the dizziness from fear made her feel as if she were a puppet with its strings cut. She collapsed face-first to the ground, passing out without a shred of grace.