Weekends are supposed to be peaceful.
A day off. Time to rest, recharge, maybe sleep until noon. Watch some anime. Eat too many snacks. Talk nonsense with friends.
So why was I currently hiding behind a destroyed vending machine, watching two magical girls duke it out with a skyscraper-sized beetle demon?
Let's rewind.
The day had started normal enough. I was at the station with two classmates—Makoto and Ren, both obsessed with manga, especially the kind where teenage boys become overpowered sword gods after being hit by trucks.
We were supposed to go buy some limited-edition doujinshi.
Instead, we ended up watching a monster tear through the streets like it was Kaiju Saturday.
"Did you see that?!" Ren shouted, gripping my sleeve. "That car just flew fifty feet!"
"Dude, is this live?! Are we in an episode?!"
"Is this a collab event?!"
My brain wasn't processing fast enough. All I could hear were sirens, screaming, and the low mechanical roar of something very, very unnatural.
Then came the familiar flash of pink.
Rika.
Soaring through the air in her magical form, ribbons trailing behind her, spear of light in hand. She twirled midair and slammed into the monster's leg, sending a shockwave through the street.
"Holy crap!" Makoto shouted. "It's her! It's the new one! The 'Bust Angel'!"
"Dude, don't call her that."
"No, seriously, she's trending. Look!"
Makoto shoved his phone in my face.
There she was. Mid-fight. Chest forward. Sword glowing.
A live broadcast. Streaming. With a chat window full of hearts and emojis.
"I'm gonna die," I muttered.
But then—another figure appeared.
Flowing black hair. Sapphire-colored battle outfit. A shimmering staff that crackled with frost.
A second Mahō Shōjo.
They fought in perfect sync—Rika with her usual flashy offense, the new girl providing support with waves of ice and barriers.
People cheered from rooftops. Others ran screaming. It was chaos.
Then Rika turned midair and—locked eyes with me.
My blood froze.
She hovered for a second.
Then pointed.
Not at the monster.
At an alley.
A small, narrow, shadowy alley behind a shuttered café.
I shook my head—no way. My friends were right here. People were watching. This was public.
She pointed again. More insistently.
I sighed.
"Be right back!" I shouted.
Makoto blinked. "Where are you going?!"
"Bathroom!"
"Now?!"
"Big lunch!"
I sprinted into the alley and turned the corner.
It was quiet. Too quiet. I leaned against the wall, heart pounding.
Thirty seconds passed.
Then—
She dropped from the sky.
Not crashed. Not stumbled.
Descended. Gracefully. Like a goddess.
Except the goddess was covered in dust, sweating through her outfit, and breathing like she'd just run a marathon uphill.
"Yo," she said, grabbing me in a quick hug. "Busy weekend, huh?"
I blinked. "You're hugging me in public."
"No one's looking."
"I'm looking."
"That's enough."
I pulled back. She looked exhausted—her usually radiant hair now slightly matted, her glowing ribbons flickering faintly.
"That's the third one today," she muttered. "Something's going on. The beasts are spawning way too fast. We usually get one per week, not per meal."
"And you're still fighting without recharging properly?"
"I recharged during breakfast."
I raised an eyebrow.
She smirked. "I licked your spoon when you weren't looking."
"You what—?!"
She waved it off. "Anyway, thanks for coming."
"You pointed at me in the middle of a live battle."
"Yeah, but you came. So we're bonding."
"Please stop making this sound romantic."
Then I remembered the other girl.
"The one with the black hair—who is she?"
Rika's smile faded. "We'll talk about her later."
"That's not ominous."
She looked past me, toward the street.
"I need to get back. That thing's not done yet."
"Should you really be hugging me right now?!"
"I just needed a quick LOVE spike to stabilize my core. I'll be fine for ten more minutes."
Then she leaned in.
For a second, I thought she'd kiss me again.
But instead, she just bumped her forehead lightly against mine.
"Thanks, Yuuta. You're doing better than most guys would in your shoes."
"I think I stopped feeling my legs about five hours ago."
"You'll adjust."
And with that, she shot upward in a burst of light.
I watched her go.
Then—
The air changed.
A breeze blew past me, but it wasn't cold.
It felt... electric.
I looked up.
A silhouette.
Descending slowly from the clouds, trailing sparkles of blue light.
Not Rika.
Someone else.
Someone new.
Someone dangerous.
And she was looking straight at me.