Catch the Cat!

Rongcheng No. 7 High School, one of Rongcheng's best high schools.

In Su Tianqing's memories, the original Miss Su Tianqing had graduated from this school and been admitted to the nearby Rongcheng Medical College.

It was entirely because it was closer and more convenient. Su Tianqing thought.

It was now eight thirty at night.

Golden Fox sat in a Starbucks across from Rongcheng No. 7 High School's entrance, quietly watching the students leave after evening self-study.

Once the young couples left campus, they immediately clung to each other hand in hand. The lovey-dovey sight made the little fox pout.

"Pfft..."

"The sour stench of romance..."

Golden Fox grumbled inwardly.

She did not dislike it, but she had never expected to get force-fed couple content just by sitting in a café and playing on her phone.

It seemed everyone's high school life had been quite colorful.

Su Tianqing could not help recalling her own high school days—rather, those of the original Miss Su Tianqing.

She got up at six thirty in the morning, rode the subway for an hour to school for morning reading, ate lunch in the cafeteria and napped at her desk, then rode the subway home after evening self-study to do some homework before going to bed.

It had been a repetitive, dull, and utterly forgettable life.

She had even been shunned by her classmates because she was a beastkin. She had never taken part in any activities and had only gathered with them once for their graduation photo.

"...Why does that life feel so familiar?"

Casting aside those old memories, Su Tianqing drained the last sip of latte in her hand, wiped her mouth briefly, and got up to leave.

The students dispersed quickly.

The crowd and bustle at the school gate swiftly vanished. Just twenty minutes later, the place was deserted, save for the occasional nearby resident passing by.

The boarding students returned to their dormitories, the lights in the teaching building went out one after another, and the campus became utterly quiet.

It was as if it had fallen asleep along with the students' departure.

On a rooftop not far away, the golden magical girl watched the occasional pedestrians below, her hands clasped behind her back as she hummed a song that did not belong to this world.

It would soon be nine. Would Hellcat appear?

Su Tianqing liked cats, both in her previous life and as the former Miss Su Tianqing.

As for catgirls?

Come on, catgirls were practically the greatest miracle in the world after adorable foxes.

Not to mention this was a little catgirl!

Cute kitty, hehehe.

"Uncle, could you open the gate for me?"

A faint young girl's voice came from the school entrance, snapping Su Tianqing out of her deranged reverie.

A magical girl's five senses had been enhanced by magic. With even a little hearing-enhancement magic, she could hear clearly from this distance.

"Hm? Coming this late? Did you forget something?"

"Y-Yes, I left my keys in my desk. Uncle, please let me in. I'll be right back out!"

"...Sigh."

The night-shift Gatekeeper sighed, took out his keys, and opened the gate for the anxious female student before him.

Forgetting one's keys really was a serious problem.

"Go on, and come back quickly."

"Thank you, Uncle!"

Su Tianqing watched her.

The girl jogged up to the teaching building, then hurried back down, panting, and rushed onto the last bus.

It was completely ordinary. Nothing happened.

Watching the bus drive away, Su Tianqing glanced at the mana detector beside her, which had shown no reaction whatsoever.

No reaction... Seems like that girl was pretty ordinary. There were no signs of any weirdos nearby either, and at this time of night...

Before the thought had even finished, the mana detector suddenly lit up with a conspicuous dark-blue arrow pointing straight toward the teaching building.

"She really came!?"

The little fox hurriedly activated invisibility magic and concealed herself in the shadows. Following the arrow's direction, she spotted a small figure on top of the teaching building.

It was an inconspicuous, petite figure, yet it clearly radiated a powerful magical aura.

Villain Magical Girl, [Hellcat].

She had really appeared.

Su Tianqing remained silent. She did not rush forward to question her and instead began observing in silence.

Why had she suddenly appeared at No. 7 High School?

There had been no weirdos here today, so Hyacinth and Iris would not come. What was her purpose in coming to a place like this?

"..."

After a few seconds of pause.

Hellcat suddenly leaped from the teaching building, activated Flying Magic, and drifted through the air in a certain direction.

Su Tianqing checked her invisibility spell again and confirmed there were no flaws before hurriedly following.

Hellcat was not flying very fast, but her technique was remarkably practiced and skillful. There was no visible trail of magic left behind.

This catgirl seemed to be following something.

That only deepened Golden Fox's doubts.

But along with them came an even fiercer curiosity. She desperately wanted to find out what this girl was trying to do.

Ah, she landed.

As she flew, Hellcat suddenly descended rapidly and landed on a side street leading into a residential district.

This was already some distance from No. 7 High School, and Su Tianqing hurried after her.

The nine o'clock last bus happened to emerge from that side street. The surroundings were quiet, with only insects chirping and the sounds of nearby residents' televisions.

It was very quiet. There were no screams or fighting, and for a moment, she could not even find Hellcat.

The mana detector pointed in a certain direction.

Following the arrow's guidance, Su Tianqing rounded a corner and looked toward the dark-blue magical girl in the distance.

And in her arms was the girl who had just run into the teaching building to retrieve her keys. Her eyes were now closed, and she had fallen unconscious.

Aha! Fox Fox finally caught you!

"...Hellcat."

Fox Fox called softly.

The catgirl shuddered all over, her tail curling up sharply as she hurriedly turned around. Her eyes were filled with surprise and shock.

She clearly had not expected Su Tianqing to appear here.

"Heartmoon Fox?! ...Why are you here?"

"I was about to ask you that. What are you doing here again? And what's going on with that girl in your arms?"

Su Tianqing said, putting her hands on her hips.

At Golden Fox's words, the dark-blue-furred catgirl hurriedly hid the girl behind her.

The gesture reminded Su Tianqing of a kitten guarding its food.

"I saw this girl first! Didn't you already kidnap Iris yesterday?!"

"You saw her first?"

"Yeah. This girl's magical power is pretty abundant, though she isn't as good as Iris or Hyacinth."

"Abundant magical power??"

"...As a Villain Magical Girl, don't tell me you don't know about Magic Replenishment."

"Magic Replenishment???"

Suspicious.

I can understand every word separately, so why do they become completely incomprehensible when put together?

"Wait, give me a second."

Su Tianqing raised a hand to stop the other girl from continuing, then reached up and pinched the tip of her ear, trying to sort out her thoughts.

"What does Magic Replenishment mean?"

"Exactly what it sounds like."

Hellcat straightened up, looking somewhat helpless.

"You... don't tell me you've never replenished your magic before."

"I've never seen that magic you use to summon weirdos. I thought it consumed a lot of magic, which is why you attacked Hyacinth so frequently."

"Don't you ever feel like you don't have enough magic?"

After a long pause, Su Tianqing answered blankly:

"Huh? No. I've never felt that way."

"..."

Hellcat's expression grew stranger and stranger, with even a hint of envy.

Then she realized something was wrong.

"Wait. If you think you have enough magic, then why do you attack Hyacinth and Iris?"

"Well... because it's fun."

The little fox flashed a brilliant, harmless smile.