Chapter 48: Don’t worry, I’m not interested in you

“Awoo!”

The pollutant, injured, roared in place.

Waves of tangible magic spread from its body, its magic level surging rapidly.

The two girls immediately distanced themselves from it.

To their disbelief, the pollutant sprouted two new heads.

One on each side, guarding the injured middle head.

Its lost vision was restored!

The pollutant’s magic level had skyrocketed, far beyond its previous state.

Iris could barely defend herself now; her weapon was knocked from her hands by the pollutant’s relentless attacks.

Her trembling hands, battered by the force, could no longer grip her weapon tightly.

“Iris, everyone’s safely evacuated. We just need to hold it off— with this much commotion, reinforcements will come.”

“Okay.”

In this city, only one magical girl was currently active: Venus, recently transferred.

Pansy made it sound simple—just stall the pollutant.

But they’d only become magical girls today, their strength at the lowest ordinary level.

This pollutant was clearly beyond ordinary—maybe extraordinary, or even the fiercer ferocious level.

“Awoo!”

The middle head roared, its piercing sound splitting their heads with pain.

The other two heads opened their mouths, gathering magic, alarming Iris.

It could use magic blasts too!

Magic blasts, as the name suggests, were powerful attacks formed by condensed magic.

Any creature with magic could use them.

The strength of a magic blast depended on the user’s magic level, control, and weapon type.

The previous Iris had mastered magic control to a pinpoint level, directing all her magic precisely at the target.

She never wasted magic or missed with an overpowered blast.

Paired with Iris’s weapon, ideal for channeling magic into her parasol, magic blasts were practically her signature move.

But this Iris wasn’t skilled enough yet—she hadn’t pierced the pollutant’s eyes to its brain.

Otherwise, that single shot could’ve killed it.

The gap in magic levels was an unbridgeable chasm; raw strength didn’t always mean a tough body.

With the right chance, even the weak could wound—or kill—the strong.

The battle was intense, with Pansy’s illusionary magic disrupting the pollutant, paired with Iris’s near-useless attacks.

Calling them attacks was generous—they were more like harassment.

“Damn it, my magic’s almost gone! It’s been this long—where’s the backup?”

Pansy gritted her teeth; she’d taken internal injuries from an earlier hit and was barely holding on.

“How long does it usually take for magical girl reinforcements?”

Iris didn’t know how fast backup arrived, only able to guess based on past responses.

“Within half an hour!”

Pansy shouted back.

“It’s only been twenty minutes!”

Iris glanced at the digital clock on a nearby building.

“I can’t hold on—let’s retreat!”

Pansy’s yellow and blue forms were blasted away by the pollutant’s magic, leaving her red form reverting to its multicolored state.

“It’s faster than us—how do we retreat?”

Iris raised a critical issue.

They hadn’t mastered flying with magic, and racing a pollutant on foot was foolish.

Turning your back to the enemy was as good as death.

The pollutant’s assault grew fiercer; the middle head’s roars caused mental disruption, while the other two fired magic blasts.

It could also fight up close with claws, leaving them no chance to counter.

The roars stopped, and all three heads gathered magic, merging into one.

Terrifying magic fluctuations disintegrated nearby objects.

Iris glanced at her weapon, lying nearby.

Without it, she couldn’t block this attack!

But it was too late to grab it!

A dark purple magic blast erupted from the pollutant’s mouth, its immense power carving a scorched trench in the ground.

The blast whipped up a gust, lifting their dresses, robes, and hair.

The overwhelming pressure made it hard to keep their eyes open.

At that moment, the same thought struck them both.

We’re done for!

As the blast neared, a woman in a black strapless gown flashed in front of them.

She glanced back at the two girls, and with a single wave, scattered the blast they thought unstoppable.

“Didn’t expect to see Iris again~”

The woman’s eyes curved with a doting look at Iris, but the warmth quickly faded.

This Iris wasn’t her beloved Iris~

“Colorful little one~ Are you a new magical girl?”

The girls’ faces shifted, stepping back warily—they knew who she was.

Long ago, this woman had fought the previous Iris.

That day, the previous Iris retired.

“Don’t be scared~ I’m not like those scary types~”

The pollutant charged at Greed, but within three meters, a spiral-toothed abyss maw appeared, swallowing it whole.

The maw vanished in a flash, leaving Iris and Pansy horrified.

This was the Greed Witch!

The pollutant that nearly cost them their lives was dealt with so effortlessly?

What was that abyss maw behind her?

A magical creature? A pollutant?

Questions piled up, but now wasn’t the time to ponder.

They needed to figure out how to escape the Greed Witch safely.

“I said, don’t be scared~ I’m not interested in you~”

They didn’t trust the Greed Witch’s words, their faces full of caution.

“Don’t believe me? Fine~” Greed said helplessly. “Your predecessor, the previous Iris, made a deal with me~ That’s why I’m handling pollutants~”

“Saving you was just a bonus. See ya~”

Greed stepped through a portal behind her and vanished, leaving the girls in shock.

Lately, the Greed Witch had been very active, not causing evil but dealing with pollutants.

It was unbelievable!

Now it made sense—she had a deal with the previous Iris.