Dimensional Codex System: I'm really not a cultist!

”Um... Excuse me, what is this place?”

Looking at the seemingly rundown place in front of her, Kohin couldn’t help but feel a bit nervous. Noticing her reaction, Taozi cheerfully patted her shoulder.

”Don’t be nervous, don’t be nervous, it’s just the exterior that looks suspicious. You’ll know once you go inside.”

”Ah, okay...”

Though a bit uneasy, hearing Taozi’s assurance, Kohin could only brace herself and walked in.

Inside was a space that appeared very spacious. It was uncertain if it had been a theater or some other place before. The hall looked somewhat disordered, yet unexpectedly gave off a unique mysterious aura.

”Hey, Adjuster!”

Pushing open the door, Taozi greeted cheerfully. Soon, they saw a young girl with long silver hair wearing peculiar clothes and sipping tea, stand up smilingly from the sofa.

”Welcome——— Oh, isn’t it Taozi? Long time no see, I was starting to feel a bit lonely.”

”This time it’s not about me, we can talk about it later. Actually, these two children are here for something, hoping you’d help, Miss Yakumo.”

Saying this, Taozi nudged Kohin and Red Ponytail forward. Seeing the two girls before her, the girl named Mikoto Yakumo squinted her eyes curiously, sizing them up from head to toe.

”Hmm... Are they newcomers? Need Soul Gem adjustment?”

”Eh? Eh?”

”This is Miss Mikoto Yakumo, the adjuster of Kamihama City.”

Taozi stepped over to explain to Kyoko, who was utterly confused and uncertain of the situation.

”She can enhance a Magical Girl’s Soul Gem, significantly boosting their power after adjustment.”

”Is there such a thing?”

Upon hearing this, Kohin was astonished. She had never known there was someone who could adjust Soul Gems!

”Hmm... How to say, it’s more like a specialty of Kamihama City. Anyway, you’ll understand soon enough, as long as you live here, you’ll undoubtedly have interactions with her. But never mind that for now... Yakumo, I’ve got a few things I need your help with.”

Saying this, Taozi brought the two over to Yakumo’s side, explaining their situation to her. Yakumo also seemed surprised, her eyes widening.

”A Magical Girl searching for her sister and a Magical Girl with memory loss?”

”Yes, do you happen to know a girl named Tamaki Yuu?”

”Sorry, I don’t recall this name... Since I only deal with Magical Girls in Kamihama City, if she is an ordinary girl... I’m truly sorry unless you have other clues.”

”I see...”

Hearing this, Kohin seemed a bit disappointed, though she was somewhat prepared mentally, so she wasn’t too let down. Yakumo shook her head, then smiled mischievously at the other girl.

”So, is this the young lady who lost her memory?”

”Yes, Yakumo, can you see what’s wrong with her?”

”Hmm...”

Yakumo carefully examined Red Ponytail up and down, then shook her head.

”I’m sorry, though I said that, this child is not a Magical Girl.”

”What?!”

Hearing Yakumo’s answer, both Kohin and Taozi were taken aback.

”Isn’t she?”

”Yes, if you look closely, she doesn’t have the mark of a Magical Girl.”

”Now that you mention it...”

Listening to Yakumo’s words, the two examined Red Ponytail more closely and found it to be true. Normally, Magical Girls possess a distinct mark; that is, they wear a ring on the middle finger of their left hand, and on the fingernail of that finger, there’s also the Magical Girl’s mark.

Thus, even without saying anything, just by observing the finger and mark closely, you can immediately identify as a Magical Girl.

Yet currently Red Ponytail had nothing on her finger, clearly indicating she wasn’t a Magical Girl.

At least not the kind of Magical Girl they had in their minds.

”How come? We definitely saw her transform!”

Up till now, Kohin and Taozi were bewildered. The reason they believed Red Ponytail was a Magical Girl was that during the witch’s barrier encounter, she was found wearing something akin to a tight-fitting swimsuit. After defeating the witch, the clothes transformed into a very ordinary one-piece.

This was evidently a characteristic of a Magical Girl! If not a Magical Girl, how could she transform?!

”Could her ring have fallen somewhere?”

”That shouldn’t happen, but if she lost her Soul Gem, then it’s troublesome.”

Thinking about this, Kohin’s face suddenly turned uneasy.

”It must have fallen somewhere during that time. Perhaps I missed it; I’ll go search for it now!”

Saying this, Kohin hurriedly stood up, grabbed Red Ponytail, and rushed out of the adjustment shop.

”Ah, wait, Kohin!”

Watching Kohin leave pulling Red Ponytail along, Taozi could only press her hand to her forehead and sigh.

We must find that child’s Soul Gem quickly!

Dragging Red Ponytail along, Kohin hastily left the adjustment shop, rapidly heading towards the direction they arrived from. The Soul Gem is a Magical Girl’s life; losing it, Kohin hadn’t even contemplated the consequences. However, typically, no one loses their ring, right? Ugh... The witch’s appearance place was a bustling street; if someone picks it up, what will we do...

Thinking of this, Kohin couldn’t help but glance at the girl behind her. At this moment, the Red Ponytail was still being dragged along by her, yet she showed no particular reaction, merely watching her with curiosity, like a cat observing a new friend. For some reason, seeing her like this, Kohin felt uneasy...

”Don’t worry, we’ll definitely find your Soul Gem.”

Kohin comforted her and then continued running forward. Soon, she once again sensed the presence of magic power—could it be that a Witch had appeared again?

We have to catch up quickly!

However, what she didn’t expect was that as she walked into the nearby alley, a figure blocked her path.

”Wait a moment.”

”Eh?”

Kohin looked up to see a stylish-looking girl with deep blue long hair standing there, quietly staring at her.

”Um, excuse me, I have an urgent matter...”

Normally, Kohin might exchange a few words with someone, but under these circumstances, she wasn’t in the mood for a chat.

Yet... the girl directly blocked her way.

”If you want to pass, then please defeat me first.”

”Why...”

Noticing the hostility from the other person, Kohin was shocked. The girl folded her arms, looking at her coldly.

”You should know best, a weak Magical Girl like you can’t possibly defeat a Witch. Someone helped you earlier, but now, are you going to send yourself to death willingly?”

”No, I’m not...”

”Though there’s a slight deviation, now there’s no need to hold back from driving you out of this city.”

As she spoke, the girl raised her hand, and in the next moment, accompanied by a flash of radiance, her figure suddenly transformed.

”Why, why are you doing this?”

Watching the other girl transform, Kohin gritted her teeth and transformed into a Magical Girl herself, but she still didn’t understand. She had never met this Magical Girl before, so why was she being hindered?

”Because you’ve proven in front of me that you don’t have the ability to survive in this city.”

Raising her Long Spear, the blue-haired girl coldly looked at Kohin.

”This is your last chance. Go back to your own territory. Kamihama City isn’t a place for a weak Magical Girl like you.”

”...I don’t want to.”

Faced with the blue-haired girl’s warning, Kohin involuntarily took a step back, but even so, she bit her lip and gave her answer.

”I still have things to investigate here. I need to find my sister, and... also this child...”

”...”

Hearing this, the blue-haired girl was silent for a moment, then raised her Long Spear again, aiming at Kohin.

”If that’s the case, let’s see whether you can survive in this city!”

As soon as the words fell, the blue-haired girl thrust her spear towards Kohin!

Oh no!

Seeing the attack, Kohin was startled and could only brace herself for impact.

But unfortunately, her opponent was not easy to deal with. On one hand, she was evidently much stronger than Kohin. On the other hand, Kohin’s weapon wasn’t suited for such an opponent. Each Magical Girl obtains a different weapon upon contracting; Kohin’s weapon was a powerful crossbow, a ranged weapon, while the opponent’s Long Spear was a mid to long-range weapon, and with a disadvantage in power, speed, and weapon type, Kohin couldn’t hold out for long against the blue-haired girl.

Just moments later, with a sharp scream, Kohin was knocked back and fell heavily to the ground.

”Now it’s over!”

With the declaration, the blue-haired girl leapt high, thrusting her Long Spear at Kohin. Watching the spear pierce towards her, Kohin gritted her teeth and shut her eyes.

However... the expected final strike never came. Instead, the clear clash of weapons rang in Kohin’s ears.

”Clang!!!”

Kohin opened her eyes to find that the Red Ponytail, who had been standing idly by, was now in front of her, raising her hands. The blue-haired girl’s Long Spear seemed to be blocked by something, hovering in front of Red Ponytail.

Soon, a cold chill spread.

”What is this...”

Kohin stared in surprise, seeing the ground rapidly freeze centered around Red Ponytail. At the same time, icy crystals sparkled, and a pitch black, massive Greatsword appeared out of thin air, revealing its true form cloaked in frost.

Its blade was pitch black, carved with azure runes, with a skull head at the hilt whose eyes glowed with blue Soulfire, the entire sword emanating a foreboding aura.

”What’s this?”

Seeing the sword, even the blue-haired girl was taken aback; however, what happened next was even more unbelievable.

”Oooh―――――!”

Red Ponytail gripped the Greatsword tightly, murmured, then the frozen ground suddenly cracked with a ”snap,” and dozens of Undead Soldiers emerged from the earth, surrounding the blue-haired girl!

”...”

Seeing this, both the blue-haired girl and Kohin were stunned.

What on earth is going on here!