“I’m telling you, one was almost three meters tall!” Masato said, measuring the air for effect. “There I was, the corpses of at least fifty vampires scattered around me. But the damnable monsters kept coming, leaving me almost too exhausted to stand!”

Paper plates flew to the floor as Masato leapt onto the table. It almost couldn’t manage his weight, and bent dangerously as the former thug paced along its surface waving his hands about in exaggerated gestures.

“They were almost too many to count! No way I could manage those fiends alone.” Masato paused for dramatic effect. “But then he appeared, Paliah, the lone swordsman to the rescue. He joined me, and we fought back to back against the monstrous horde. Fists and blade ready for action!”

A cup splashed juice on a nearby wall as Masato accidentally kicked it aside. “He was a true hero, valiant and brave. But our foe proved too great, and we faltered under the weight of their furious attack! My friend collapsed to his knees, his injuries terrible after several blades pierced his chest!”

“But my new friend wasn’t out of tricks! The vamps drove his back against the wall, his death seeming certain. Then Paliah flickered like a ghost, appearing a few steps from his terrible foes a few moments later! His odd power gave me the distraction I needed to charge the vampire horde from behind!”

“It routed our enemies. Somehow, we manage the impossible. Together, we finished the remaining vampires! We laughed in sheer disbelief that we’d overcome such a terrible foe, numbering in the hundreds! His work done, that brave hero gave his final farewells before vanishing from sight!” Masato paused, waiting for the applause. It didn’t materialize, and his audience stared at him with blank expressions.

“What a bunch of crap!” Takako said, certain she’d surmised their feelings in a few, simple words. She didn’t buy a word of that tall tale, its obvious holes too numerous to count. Heck, Takako doubted this Paliah even existed.

“Very succinctly put,” Kiyojiro said, nodding.

“I feel dumber after hearing that story!” Colten added.

“Come on, guys! That’s what happened!” Masato said in protest, going red-faced. “I’ve been training super hard. You underestimate how badass I’ve gotten since Seina vanished on that quest to Starlight Dream. I’ve become quite the distinguished vampire hunter.”

Not wanting to justify that remark with a response, Takako returned to reading her manga. It had the President of the United States fighting monsters in the body of a Japanese teenage girl. It still seemed more sensible than Masato’s story. Her other friends agreed with her, returning to their own private tasks.

“Come on, guys. I mean it!” When the former thug got no response, he sulked in the corner. “Seina would have believed me.” He muttered.

“Still, he has a point in one area. Vampires are on the move again!” Colten produced a newspaper with a headline about an alarming increase in vampire attacks. They were getting bolder without the fear of Seina to keep them in check.

“And you want me to deal with it?” Takako asked, raising a head from her manga. Her tone told she wasn’t enthused by the prospect.

“You’re a magical girl! It is your job to fight evil.” The fairy said, in a tone which suggested he was close to losing its patience. Kiyojiro gave an emphatic nod of agreement.

“Let that masked hero guy take care of them.” The whole endeavor sounded like an annoying, tedious waste of time. But a disapproving frown creased Colten’s mouth, making her reconsider.

“Okay, fine.” Takako said, relenting. This manga was pretty dumb, anyway. Besides, she didn’t want to face Seina if she returned to discover her home planet in ruins.

“Fools!”

Takako jerked in surprise, startled by the sudden noise. After calming her beating heart, she glanced out the window to find the source of the commotion.

“Meet your new king!” A figure said. People fled as it walked through a nearby park. No, not walked, floated. It gave a sweeping gesture as they addressed the crowd. “Call me, uh, er, Master Deathlord! Ruler of the cosmos! Terror of evil! The nightmare incarnate!”

A white robe flapped in the wind as it passed across the paved streets, pale as death. A devilish-looking mask hid their face, chipped and misshapen. Dark power radiated from their new so-called ruler, confirming Takako’s suspicions the villain was a vampire.

“Fools! Bow to me, or feel my wrath!” Deathlord said, extending both arms extended high into the air.

“You have got to be kidding me.” Without Seina around, every joker assumed the world helpless. Well, she’d show this guy the error of that assumption.

“I’ll be right back,” Takako said, pulling open the window.

“I thought you said the knight could handle problems like this,” Masato crossed his arms petulantly.

“You want to handle this one instead?” Takako asked, a sardonic smile on her lips.

“No, it’s fine!” Masato said, shaking his head. He puffed out his chest and raised his head high. “I mean, this guy’s a king. He’s a little above my pay grade. You’re more suited for this task. Let me handle the small fries.”

“Uh, huh,” Takako replied, not convinced. Behind them, Colten snickered. Masato responded by giving the fairy a scathing glare.

“Fools! You dare fight me?!” Below, resistance fighters opened up with gunfire. They were the local police the prime minister had formed after the vampire’s reign had fallen. Decent clothes still remained scarce, so they wore blue street clothes with only a gold badge to indicate their rank.

“Ha! Your weapons are useless against the terrible Master Deathlord!” Deathlord said. “You have marked your graves. For to face Deathlord means death! Death at the hands of Deathlord! Fools!”

I better hurry before the situation gets ugly. Takako leaped from the window. Despite the gym residing on the tenth floor, Takako landed on her feet with the grace of a cat. She pushed through the nervous crowd towards the troublemaker disrupting her peaceful afternoon.

“Hey, slimeball! Over here.” Takako said, entering the scene.

“No, don’t! It’s too dangerous!” An officer said, trying to pull her away.

“Don’t worry, I got this.” She flashed the man her brooch. The cop’s eyes widened into saucers and released her. This caught the attention of other onlookers and they muttered to themselves, pointing at her.

Good. It’s about time I get some acknowledgement!

“Fool! Who dares challenge the evil of the great Master Deathlord?! The unstoppable master of the cosmos?!” The villain turned and stopped as their leg got caught on a nearby bench. It snagged for several moments as the vampire struggled to pull himself free.

“Huh?” Something wasn’t right here. The way Deathlord moved was odd, unnatural. It contained no grace and fluidity, like the creature couldn’t control his own limbs.

“So you are the fool that dares challenge the great Master Deathlord? The ruler of the cosmos! An enemy where only death is certain! Death by the Great Master Deathlord’s hands?”

“Do you do nothing but talk?” Takako said, already tired of this idiot’s long-winded and tedious posture. And that guy used death four times in that single sentence! “Let us see how scary you are, nightmare incarnate!”

“Change Change, Magical Love Dress Up!”

“She’s a magical girl!” The crowd stared in awe at the presence of a new magical girl. They cheered, gladdened that a new savior had appeared. It was oddly gratifying.

“Thank the stars! That act was getting old!” Takako blinked in surprise as Deathlord dropped from the air, like a puppet with its strings cut. The figure moaned, sobbing in gratitude.

“So, you must be Takako!” A fairy said, appearing from behind a nearby trash bin. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, at last! My name is Jin, and I’m here to save you!

---

“Uh, what?” What the hell was going on? Was this a trap? Takako tensed, searching for the fairy’s partner.

“My magical girl isn’t here,” Jin replied. “I’ve turned my back against her and Starlight Dream!”

“This isn’t a trap to kill me?” Takako said, unconvinced. “And what the hell is this?” She pointed towards Deathlord.

“Oh, that?” Jin waved a dismissive paw. “I needed to draw you out. I figured a flashy villain would work wonders.” When they realized the show wasn’t even real, people groaned and wandered away disappointed. But the thumbs-up a police officer gave her heartened Takako.

“Please, can you let me go now?” Deathlord said, whimpering behind their mask. “Please.” No one paid them any mind.

I can’t believe I fell for this. The odd details Takako noticed earlier clicked in place, seeing strings the fairy had used to puppeteer the unfortunate vampire.

“Saving me against what, exactly?” Takako asked, folding her arms.

“The Devil Princesses already know all about you! Seina got herself killed trying to fight against them! We need to leave now! Before…”

“Wait, Seina’s dead?” Takako said, skepticism returning to her voice.

“Yeah, she ran afoul of Reiko Yoshida,” Jin said, her tone glum. The name quickened Takako’s heart, bringing a spike of fear.

The Poison Ivy was the true terror of the cosmos, her power almost unmatchable. If anyone could kill the seemingly unstoppable Seina, it was her.

“That’s why we need to go! We can’t lose you too! The fight against Starlight Dream needs to continue! It can’t end here!”

“One thing, Seina isn’t dead!” Colten said, interrupting the conversation in a huff. “I would know. I’m her partner.”

“Impossible,” Jin replied. “No one fights the Devil Princesses and wins! You just haven’t ceased to live yet.”

Takako smirked. This fairy knew nothing about her friend. “Seina’s tougher than she looks. If anyone can slip out of their grasp, it’s her!”

“There’s no time to argue. A lieutenant will arrive soon. We need to skedaddle before she comes! You might have gotten lucky against Emiyo, but Haruko Ayaji is arriving soon! She’s on a whole different level!”

“I’m aware,” Takako replied, her tone icy. It was a point the girl had rubbed into Takako’s face countless times. The girl had a stick up her butt longer than the Pin of the Cosmos. “But, I’m not leaving.”

“What?!” Jin said, convinced Takako had lost her senses.

“Yeah, we aren’t leaving!” Colten said, backing her up. “This is Seina’s home world, and I refuse to abandon it. The Devil Princess should come at their peril!”

“Yeah, I rather like this place,” Takako said, her mouth quirking into smile. “Besides, my stuff is here.”

“You’re insane! Staying is a death wish!” Jin said, bordering on hysterics. She slumped in defeat when she saw the resolve in the pair’s expression.

“Don’t worry, we got this!” Colten said, putting a comforting paw on his fellow fairy’s shoulder. “Have courage!”

“Yeah, I’m not the same magical girl Haruko met in boot camp. She’s in for some nasty surprises.” Ayaji’s ability would be troublesome, possibly unbeatable. But Takako refused to believe the battle hopeless. Her power was imagination, for goodness’ sake!

“Okay. Perhaps I’ve been running and hiding for too long, lost all perceptive.” Jin said, her resolve crystallizing. “It’s just been Ume and me since forever. I suppose we can’t win if we refuse to fight.”

“You’re friends with that jerk?” Colten said, scowling in distaste.

“I’ve been feeding her information since almost the beginning. I’m the one who hid her after her first rebellion failed. Only she survived, poor thing.”

It explained the enormous chip on her shoulder. A thought occurred to Takako, but she hesitated to speak it. It went against all her sensibilities, but needs must. “Do you think you could bring Ume here? She might be the edge we need against Ayaji.”

“Really?” Colten said, incredulous. “She tried to kill Seina on sight, for no reason!”

“I haven’t forgotten.” Takako replied. “But allies are needed if we’re to survive.”

“What about Paliah?” Masato said from the above window. Apparently, he’d been overhearing their conversation.

Right, the Knight. Takako wanted real allies, not dubious ones that might not even exist. “If he shows up, sure, but I’d rather have another magical girl.”

“Good plan!” Colten said, nodding. “We don’t know this Paliah’s limits.”

“I’ll search for Ume,” Jin said. “But no promises. She can be moody.”

No kidding. She recalled how the girl had left in a huff when Seina refused to kill Emiyo in cold blood. It made her question the wisdom of this plan.

But I was a troublesome girl too, and Aiko and Seina turned me around. Maybe there was hope for her. She’d asked Aiko to prepare some bento boxes for when Ume arrived. Food helped smooth over most problems, in her opinion.

“This could work!” Jin said, turning hopeful. “The death of two lieutenants will be a tremendous blow against Starlight Dream!”

“Who said anything about Emiyo being dead?” Takako said, amused.

“What?!” Jin replied, her tone becoming almost hysterical again.

---

Fire burned everywhere as Reiko searched for her target. The smoke irritated her eyes, making them water. Who’s bright idea was it to light random buildings on fire? The entire city was mayhem, people running back and forth in utter panic. They congested the streets, making moving around on foot difficult.

Should I just wish the entire city dead? It would save time, but such a wish seemed rather crass to her. It provided little entertainment.

“Over here!” Her partner Gugu pulled her sleeve, pointing towards the sound of police sirens.

In a single bound, she leaped onto a nearby building and peered down to locate the source of the commotion. A couple of blocks away, a pink convertible fled from the police at high speed. People scattered as the car came barreling towards them, heedless of any pedestrians. Reiko recognized the driver at once.

She extended an arm, so her partner could perch upon it. “I wish to be sitting in the seat next to Yuuka.”

In a blink, she appeared elsewhere. The wind blew her blond hair wildly as they sped down the road. Beside her, the driver cackled in delight as she evaded her pursuers. She blinked when she realized she wasn’t alone.

“Reiko?” Yuuka asked, surprised to see her fellow Devil Princess. Unlike Reiko, Yuuka was still in her civilian form. She wore her green hair short, wild as always. For reasons that eluded Reiko, Yuuka wore a fireman’s outfit. It was bulky on her slight frame, appearing absolutely ludicrous. Her too-long sleeves hung over the steering wheel as it jerked back and forth to avoid crashing into other vehicles.

“Yo!” Her partner, Kindness, said, tipping her sunglasses towards their new guest.

“What the hell are you doing?” Reiko asked.

“The usual! I wonder if they’ll follow me here?” Their vehicle jerked, taking a violent turn onto a sidewalk leading into a park. The car jolted as it struck a man too stunned to avoid get it.

“Yeah! Ten points!” Yuuka whooped and howled in delight.

“Ten points?” Reiko said, incredulous. As usual, the other Devil Princess’s reasoning alluded to her.

“Yeah! Ten points for every person I hit! Yes, twenty more!” She said, running over two more people unfortunate enough to cross Yuuka’s path.

The police tried following, but the trees and the pedestrians made it difficult. Yuuka continued at high speed, heedless of the surrounding obstacles. The other Devil Princess showed impressive driving skills as she avoided every tree in her path. After hitting four more people, she returned to the proper street. It left her windshield bloody and difficult to see through. Reiko was grateful they’d returned to solid roads. The bumpy, erratic ride had been nauseating.

“I’m bored with this car.” Yuuka’s eyes lit up when she spotted an oil tanker and drove towards it at top speed.

“Wait!” But Yuuka ignored Reiko and the oil tanker exploded in flames as their car barreled into it. Several more nearby cars exploded, adding to the mayhem.

Yuuka laughed as they walked through the flames, her fireman’s outfit slightly singed. Was that the reason she wore it, to avoid burning her outfit? “Hey, I like that car!”

Before Reiko could get a word in edge-wise, Yuuka walked over in that direction. “I really hate that girl.”

“Yeah,” Gugu said, sighing.

“Thank you.” Yuuka said, grabbing the car’s owner by the arm. The man yelped as a preteen girl tossed him aside like a doll. Key in hand, Yuuka started the sports car and beckoned Reiko to join her.

“Look, I’m not here to join in your gallivanting,” Reiko said, closing the car door behind her. Yuuka was already aware of her feelings about this needless destruction. It didn’t further suffering. It only caused pointless explosions. So inelegant.

“I kinda figured,” Yuuka said, diving her car towards a nearby subway entrance. She laughed and people scattered to avoid getting hit. But not everyone dodged away in time, and a man flew past their windshield as they collided with him. “Ten points!”

“There’s trouble at Starlight Dream. It’s a long story, but rebels are becoming a problem again.”

“So what?” The car bumped as Yuuka turned and dove onto the train tracks.

“They have the Wicked Queen’s wand.” The vehicle jerked as Yuuka slammed on the breaks.

“What?”

“Yes, these new rebels are powerful and getting stronger. One single-handedly destroyed the Hall of Agony. They could become a genuine threat!”

“Oh.” For once, Yuuka was speechless. Her bafflement turned to a scowl. “If the Wicked Queen returns, she could ruin everything! Back in her day, she destroyed the Ravager, Prince of Entropy!”

“I know. Gugu has told me about it a million times,” Reiko replied, giving her partner a pleasing ear rub. Her partner was the second-oldest living fairy around.

Then Yuuka’s mood changed abruptly, and she howled with laughter. Reiko’s heart tensed as the other Devil Princess ran her vehicle at full throttle, and she soon realized why. A train was approaching from the other direction at full speed. Despite being immune to harm, it still caused her an irrational spike of fear.

“Who cares!” Yuuka said, the wind rushing along with her hair as she poked her head from the car door. “We’ll just deal with her again! I’m not worried.”

The train driver saw the vehicle speeding towards him and frantically pushed a lever to slow his train down. A fruitless endeavor because it was also traveling at full speed.

“Yuuka!” Reiko growled. Her partner closed her eyes, readying for the impact. The results were spectacular, the impact pulverizing their vehicle into a crush can. Metal squealed deafeningly as the train derailed and flew out of control. The crash reduced the train to a twisted heap of metal, its cars almost crushed together.

“Sweet! Did you see that crash?” Yuuka said, beaming. A powerful kick sent the mangled remains of the car door flying, and she pulled herself free.

What the hell is wrong with her?! The crash hadn’t been anything approaching fun. Reiko had never liked high thrill rides like roller coasters. Venting her frustration, she cracked the mangled car in half to free herself.

“I mean it, Yuuka!” Reiko said, getting into the other’s face. “It’s an order from Mei!”

“Okay, fine!” Yuuka said, rolling her eyes. “Count me in. Mei gets real pushy if she doesn’t get her way.”

“Fantastic!” Reiko said, regaining her usual cheer. Dealing with Yuuka was so tiring. “Say, how about we make this a game?”

“I love games!” Yuuka said, eyes brightening.

“The first one to find and capture Seina wins!” Reiko said, clapping her hands together. “The loser buys the winner a chocolate parfait!”

“Deal!” Yuuka said, squealing in delight.

“A second if you retrieve the Wicked Queen’s wand,” Reiko added.

“Sweet! Let’s go, Kindness!”

“Later!” Her partner summoned a portal, and they leaped through it.

“Hold on!” She didn’t even get a chance to explain what Seina looked like. Well, whatever. At least Yuuka was working towards something constructive for once. Besides, this only made winning their game so much easier.

“Oh, I like that grin!” Gugu said, beaming. “Seina’s going to suffer, suffer, suffer!”

Oh yes. She already had some choice wishes in mind once they reunited. Reiko clapped her hands together. “Shall we begin?”