Tentacle Monster!

She was engrossed in what she was watching when a strange noise came from deep within the alley...

It sounded like something thick and sticky writhing, mixed with the low growl of a beast. The rustling made her scalp prickle.

Molly went on alert, her heart leaping into her throat.

She instinctively tightened her grip on Broken Sword, held her breath, and edged toward the sound.

The farther she went, the stronger a strange smell became—

It had the sickly sweetness of blooming photinia flowers, laced with rot. Her stomach churned.

She hid behind a corner and peeked out.

The sight made her blood run cold.

At the end of the alley crouched a monster unlike anything she had ever seen. It had no fixed shape. Slick black slime covered its body, and countless tentacles writhed across the ground. Suckers tipped each one, gleaming strangely.

Beneath the monster, bound tight, was a girl in the uniform of the class next door: Lin Weiwei!

Lin Weiwei's eyes had rolled back, her tongue hung out, and her body still twitched faintly. Her fingers formed a V sign. She had clearly passed out, wrapped so tightly in tentacles that she had no strength left to struggle.

The monster seemed to be savoring its catch. Its tentacles gently stroked Lin Weiwei's cheek as it made a satisfied gurgling sound.

Molly trembled all over. Even her teeth were chattering.

A Monster Demon! A Monster Demon had slipped into the city!

She reached for the phone in her pocket, her fingertips shaking as she tried to call the police.

The police in this world probably weren't much good against Monster Demons, but at least they could call for backup.

Just as her finger touched the screen, the Tentacle Monster whipped its head around.

It had no eyes, only a huge maw packed with sharp teeth. The maw faced Molly, drool dripping onto the ground with a corrosive sizzle.

Its sucker-covered tentacles pointed toward her like snakes that had locked onto their prey.

"Gurgle!!!"

It had noticed her!

Molly's mind went blank. Only one thought remained: Run!

She spun and sprinted for the alley entrance, her feet moving so fast she nearly flew. The progress bar for her running skill even ticked up slightly from the all-out sprint.

But however fast she ran, she couldn't outrun a Monster Demon's tentacles.

With a whoosh, a thick tentacle tore through the air and wrapped around her left arm, bringing a foul gust with it.

Agony shot through her arm. It felt as if her bones were about to snap.

Molly grunted in pain and nearly dropped Broken Sword.

Gritting her teeth, she swung Broken Sword back at the tentacle with everything she had.

Clang!

Broken Sword left only a shallow white mark on the tentacle. The impact numbed the web of her hand instead.

This monster's skin was way too tough!

The Monster Demon seemed enraged. Another tentacle lashed out and struck her hard across the back.

Molly went flying as if a truck had hit her. She slammed into the ground, and blood rose in her throat. She almost spat it out.

She struggled to get up, but every bone in her body felt shattered. The pain left her unable to move.

The Tentacle Monster slowly crawled toward her, dragging a long trail of slime across the ground. A mocking gurgle came from its enormous maw, as though it were enjoying its prey's final struggle.

Molly looked at the approaching Monster Demon, at its mouthful of sharp teeth, then at Lin Weiwei's motionless body nearby. Despair welled up inside her.

Was she really going to die here?

Three days after crossing into this world, before she'd even cooked her little sister a decent meal or maxed out her proficiency, she was going to become this monster's water heater?

A tentacle slowly rose and reached for her cheek, carrying that nauseating, sickly-sweet stench.

Molly closed her eyes. A tear slid down from the corner of one eye.

Just then, a cool, mature woman's voice rang through the silent alley like a blade breaking through ice.

"Holy Light Shines—!"

The moment she finished speaking, a dazzling beam of gold-white light shot down from the roof of a tall building beside the alley.

The light was sacred and searing, like the sun falling to earth. The air trembled wherever it passed.

The gold-white beam struck the Tentacle Monster dead-on.

Sizzle! It sounded like a red-hot iron pressed against fat.

"Aaaaah!!!"

The Tentacle Monster let out a piercing scream. White light swallowed its slick body, its black slime evaporated into wisps of smoke, and its countless tentacles broke apart inch by inch before crumbling to ash.

In mere seconds, the vicious monster was gone. Not a trace remained.

Only the sickly-sweet scent of photinia flowers still hung in the alley.

Molly's eyes flew open. She stared at the empty alley and the white light fading into the air, stunned.

The dark blue band around her wrist glimmered softly in the sunlight.

Her gaze slowly rose toward the tall building.

There stood a slender figure in golden yellow, graceful and upright, her long hair blowing in the wind.

"Tha— Huh? She's gone?"

Just as Molly was about to make out her face, the figure flickered and vanished.

Molly didn't know who she was, but one thing was certain: she was a magical girl! A magical girl who could use magic!

So magical girls really did exist! Too bad I didn't get her autograph... And I count as a magical girl now too, right? Why did she ignore me? Was it because I can't use magic?

Molly thought for a moment, then glanced at Lin Weiwei's pitiful state nearby. Without further hesitation, she took out her phone and called the police.

She had no interest in taking advantage of someone while she was helpless. Besides, she wasn't capable of that sort of thing now, so it wouldn't matter if she were interested.

Not long after she called, the police drove to the scene.

Molly had already undone her transformation and began giving her statement.

"...So you're saying that you passed through here on your way home from school, encountered a Tentacle Monster, and were saved by a magical girl in a golden-yellow dress who used light magic?"

"That's right."

"All right. Avoid deserted routes next time. You can go home."

After saying goodbye to the officers, Molly walked home and pondered to herself:

Could a magical girl's color scheme be related to her powers?

The magical girl in golden yellow I just saw used holy light. The colors match.

By that logic, red would go with fire, blue with water, and green with wood. What would my white color scheme go with? Metal?

And what about black? It couldn't be associated with plucking things, could it?