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

”What is this?”

Looking at the moving Undead around them, Kohin and the blue-haired girl were both taken aback. They had never seen anything like this before!

However, what happened next was even more shocking. The Red Ponytail flipped her greatsword and forcefully stabbed it into the ground, then whispered softly.

”...Sealing.”

”———————!”

Accompanied by the Red Ponytail’s low chant, a piercing cold air swept through, enveloping the two of them instantly. Kohin and the blue-haired girl instinctively closed their eyes, raising their hands in front of their faces. However, when they opened their eyes again, the sight before them left them completely stunned.

What they saw was no longer the pitch-black alley from before, but a massive circular platform. At the front of this platform was a throne formed from millennium-old ice. The surroundings were dim, with a frozen wilderness and a gigantic Ice Castle covering everything.

”What is this?”

”A barrier!?”

Before the two could react, the Red Ponytail suddenly swung her greatsword, pointing at the blue-haired girl.

”The end has come!”

As she spoke, a violent wind erupted, followed by an explosive blast of ice, catching the blue-haired girl off guard and causing her to scream as she was thrown back.

But this was only the beginning. As the blue-haired girl fell, the ground beside her suddenly cracked open, and a gargantuan ghoul emerged, pouncing towards her.

”Ugh...!”

Seeing the eerie Undead Spirits before her, the blue-haired girl gritted her teeth, wielding her long spear. Soon, hundreds of spears appeared behind her, launching at the ghoul. Under the barrage of spears, the massive ghoul quickly disintegrated, turning back into fragments and vanishing into thin air.

However, the Red Ponytail didn’t even glance at the ghoul, instead raising her greatsword and pointing at the blue-haired girl!

”Ugh!!”

As soon as the Red Ponytail locked onto her, the blue-haired girl felt a sudden shiver, a burning pain emanating from within her, as if she was struck by a sudden illness. Unprepared, she collapsed to the ground, and at that moment, a dark lightning bolt shot from the Red Ponytail’s greatsword, striking the blue-haired girl’s body directly.

”Ahhhhh!!!”

The unbearable pain made the blue-haired girl scream out loud. She gripped her long spear tightly, desperately resisting the black lightning’s onslaught. However, despite her efforts, she was struggling to hold on. She swung her long spear forcefully, attempting to counterattack. But just as the blue-haired girl made her move, the figure before her blurred. In the next instant, the Red Ponytail appeared right in front of her, her greatsword sweeping upward.

”Clang!!!”

With the crisp sound of weapons clashing, the blue-haired girl’s spear was knocked away. At the same time, the Red Ponytail charged into her embrace, thrusting her greatsword straight toward her chest!

”Stop it!!”

With this scream, the Red Ponytail’s action halted abruptly. She remained poised in the blue-haired girl’s embrace, turning her head to look behind. There, Kohin stood, pale-faced, watching them.

”Please... Don’t fight anymore, okay? I beg you, stop...”

Kohin also looked anxiously at the Red Ponytail, not expecting this seemingly amnesiac Magical Girl to be so powerful. More importantly, she had clearly intended to kill her opponent just now! This scared Kohin, prompting her to urgently intervene.

”........”

The Red Ponytail stared silently at Kohin, then lowered her greatsword. In the next moment, the pitch-black greatsword disappeared from her hand, and the surroundings flickered back to their original state.

”......Whew......”

It was only then that Kohin’s legs gave way, causing her to collapse to the ground. The Red Ponytail, meanwhile, quietly walked back to her side, curiously watching her without saying a word.

”What on earth is going on......”

The blue-haired girl also stood up at this moment. But unlike before, she now watched the Red Ponytail warily. After all, the earlier battle had nearly scared her to death. She hadn’t expected that, for a moment, she was actually close to being killed!

”Yachiyo!”

Just then, another voice sounded. Everyone turned to see Taozi hurrying over.

”Seriously, what are you guys doing? What happened?”

”Taozi!”

Seeing Taozi appear, Kohin finally breathed a sigh of relief. Taozi nodded to her, then frowned at the blue-haired girl.

”This can’t continue, are you bullying the newcomer again?”

”I wasn’t, I was just warning her.”

The blue-haired girl reverted to her original form and watched the Red Ponytail vigilantly.

”But now, it seems I have many questions that need to be answered by you.”

Due to the inexplicable battle earlier, both parties had to return to the adjustment shop for explanations. Upon learning what happened, Taozi was quite surprised.

”Eh? Did this kid actually defeat Yachiyo?”

”That’s right.”

The blue-haired girl—Nanami Yachiyo nodded and cautiously stared at the Red Ponytail. The latter quietly sat on the sofa, saying nothing and not moving.

”Who exactly is she? The things she did before, they don’t seem like a Magical Girl, more like a Witch!”

”Witch?”

”Exactly.”

Yachiyo nodded.

”She can create barriers and summon familiar spirits, which are things only witches can do!”

”But, but, this child is clearly human, right?”

Upon hearing Yachiyo’s words, Kohin hurriedly denied it, but Yachiyo shook her head.

”Human-shaped witches can exist, though rare, it’s not impossible.”

”How could that be...”

Listening to Yachiyo’s response, Kohin lowered her head somewhat despondently, while Taozi frowned, staring at Yachiyo.

”So, what do you intend to do?”

”.........”

However, faced with Taozi’s question, Yachiyo didn’t answer for quite a while.

What does she plan to do?

What can she do?

She nearly got killed by the opponent earlier, does she think she can counterattack?

”I have a proposal.”

Just then, the black-hearted.risks-taking.Yakumo.money-swindling.Madam smiled and spoke.

”Although we don’t know whether this child is a Magical Girl or a witch, at least until now, she hasn’t shown any hostility, right? And listening to Yachiyo, this child seems rather obedient. Previously attacking you was because you were bullying Iroha, right? Since that’s the case, why don’t we just maintain the status quo, after all, this child hasn’t harmed anyone, has she?”

”That’s what you say, but there’s also the possibility she’s a newly born witch...”

”So what do you plan to do? Eliminate her here? You’ve just been defeated by her, right.”

”.........”

Don’t make things harder for people, sis, with a bleeding chest.

Upon hearing this, Yachiyo’s face turned white, then purple, back to white, and finally she sealed her lips, refusing to speak further. After all, she was the boss of Kamihama’s Eastern District, yet she was beaten to the point of almost returning home to marry, which is indeed not a tale worth spreading.

”How about this then?”

Madam Yakumo didn’t plan to continue verbal onslaught on Yachiyo, quickly changing the subject upon seeing her poor complexion.

”Let this child stay with me for now, after all, she has nowhere else to go, does she?”

”Eh? Is that okay?”

Upon hearing this, Taozi felt somewhat worried; she knew that while Madam Yakumo possessed the skill to adjust soul gems, her combat power was not strong. This is why the adjustment room was opened in such a sparsely populated place, to avoid witches and familiars.

As for this girl... although she didn’t know whether she was a Magical Girl or a witch, the fact she could easily overpower Yachiyo was proof of her strength. Having a presence with such overwhelming power remain here made Taozi quite uneasy.

”No problem, I think this child is still quite obedient, isn’t she?”

”That’s what you say... Well, alright, there’s no other way.”

After making the decision, Yachiyo directly turned and left, while Taozi, who liked Kohin a lot, told her she would bring her friends to help Kohin find clues about her sister in Kamihama City. This made Kohin very happy, though somewhat anxious.

”Um... Is this really okay? I’ve already been very grateful to you for saving me from the witch, there’s no need to trouble yourself with finding my sister...”

”What’s the concern, we’re already friends. Rely on parents at home, rely on friends outside. Besides, we can relax a bit too, don’t worry, leave it to me.”

”Then I’ll leave it to you.”

Since the other party said so, Kohin couldn’t refuse anymore, so she nodded and agreed. Hearing Kohin’s response made Taozi laugh heartily.

”In that case, let’s meet them now, shall we? Let’s go.”

”Ah, okay...!”

Upon hearing this, Kohin stood up hurriedly, and looked at the Red Ponytail with some unease, then turned and left the adjustment room with Taozi. Meanwhile, the Red Ponytail sat on the sofa, kept watching Kohin’s departing figure, and then tilted her head, stood up, and soon disappeared beyond the door.

”Oh dear, oh dear.”

Seeing this scene, Madam Yakumo couldn’t help but show a wry smile.

”This really is an unruly child...”