Dusk in the city of Flaren looked more like a ball lit by glimmers of every color, any busy street was lined with vivid and colorful lights, after all, neon signs had always been the best form of nighttime advertising for stores.

  Naturally, pedestrians walking along the sidewalks ended up immersed in this atmosphere as bright as daylight, enjoying the hustle and bustle of “nightlife.”

  Of course, if you really want to experience what nightlife on a commercial street is like, the bare minimum is to actually be “on the street.”

  If you choose to watch the hurried passersby eating, drinking, and having fun from the top of a rooftop... then that nightlife, no matter how vibrant and multicolored it may seem, will become... far too distant.

  "…………"

  [“Apple Tart calling Moon Fairy, Apple Tart calling Moon Fairy, do you read me? Do you read me?”]

  “I hear you, I hear you... But can we please stop using these code names, Thalia? Didn’t you say this phone has encryption software that prevents anyone from listening in? So why do we have to use these... totally embarrassing nicknames?”

  Wearing a flawless white trench coat that drew more attention than any neon in the city, the little girl was crouched silently on the rooftop of a tall building, observing the bright street full of cars and people, while speaking clearly and sharply into the cheap phone in her hand.

  There was no doubt: this girl, unusual in both appearance and posture, was the beautiful Alice. And naturally, the person she was speaking with was Thalia, who was not present at the scene.

  It seemed that on this night, as ordinary as any other, our little girl with “mysterious” actions was about to become the most unexpected sight of this “everyday twilight”...

  [“Moon Fairy, this is officially the first mission of ‘Magical Girl Alice’! What do you mean we’re not going to be formal? Both magical girls and superheroes need cool nicknames, and it took me a long time to come up with these two!”]

  Thalia’s voice came from the phone, filled with care and at the same time with an almost uncontrollable excitement. And under the cold night breeze, that voice, which sounded like it was secretly celebrating some grand festivity, seemed out of tune with the evening’s atmosphere.

  But clearly, this elementary school student who had already thrown herself into the role of “magical girl partner” didn’t care about something as insignificant as “atmosphere.”

  In fact, after stubbornly insisting on the “code names,” this “seemingly clever partner lady” even started mimicking anime characters, explaining for the tenth time to Alice her mission and the plan they had devised at home.

  [“Moon Fairy, attention! Moon Fairy, attention! Our target this time is the boss behind those small-time thugs who’ve been terrorizing the city of Flaren, they oppress the weak, extort shopkeepers... From what I’ve learned, the casino called ‘Golden Night’ on Greenfinger Street is this villain’s main hideout. Our plan tonight is to quietly infiltrate it and, in the name of magical girls, teach that villain a good lesson!”]

  The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

  Well... this plan was, at the very least, strange. To be honest, Alice didn’t argue because there was so much to criticize she didn’t even know where to start.

  For example... how did a third-year elementary school student know the hideout of the underworld boss of Flaren? Are criminal organizations advertising to middle schoolers now? Are they gangsters or idols?

  Thalia’s answer was: “Those little thugs are always saying they’ll take any disobedient girl to the ‘Golden Night’ to hand them over to the boss as slaves. So, if we’re fighting evil, this place has to be the best starting point!”

  Admittedly, it made some sense. Casinos are already illegal places by nature, and no one in there, neither customers nor owners, was likely to be a decent person.

  But talking about the plan itself... why exactly did Magical Girl Alice have to wear a super flashy white cloak and “infiltrate” enemy territory?

  Honestly, Alice didn’t care about the outfit. After all, the imperial army’s magnetic detection goggles didn’t rely on light to locate targets.

  But... infiltrate? Was that really necessary?

  Even if the casino had forty or fifty henchmen at most, and even if they used weapons like rocket launchers or mechs, straight out of an action movie, it would still be laughable compared to what the little ghost could do.

  Alice was fully confident that she could charge through the front entrance alongside Nisha and eliminate all the “evil targets” without the slightest effort.

  But Thalia was completely against that. According to her, every magical girl action should be a fusion of “love and art.”

  A barbaric massacre would not only terrify civilians but also ruin the glorious image of a “beautiful girl of justice.”

  Therefore, unless absolutely necessary, Alice only needed to enter discreetly and give the boss a good beating.

  Perhaps, in a way, that was a kind of “flashy discretion”...

  “Ugh, magical girls and all that... enough! If it weren’t because I’m completely out of money, I’d never agree to be a magical girl!”

  Ignoring the na?ve and enthusiastic instructions of her “wonderful partner,” Alice just shook her head, staring at the brightly lit street below.

  Maybe Thalia really did want to fight evil and save the world alongside the “magical girl” she had taken in. But in practice, Alice had zero interest in that kind of thing.

  Even though she currently had no idea what to do next, especially after having inexplicably escaped the ongoing hunt from the Astralis court, one thing was certain: she hated killing, hated blood.

  However… just like exams and homework, things don’t always go the way we want. Often, “accidents” overtake plans in the blink of an eye.

  For instance... ever since Alice showed up, Thalia’s food allowance hadn’t even lasted a week.

  The truth was, this third-year elementary school student had breakfast and lunch in the school cafeteria.

  Her parents, before each business trip, left only enough money for a month’s worth of dinners, a precisely calculated amount meant for Thalia alone. Now, with Alice needing three meals a day, it didn’t take long before even Thalia’s already scarce allowance was completely drained.

  “Hunger brings even kings to their knees”—that old saying had never made more sense.

  With Alice on the verge of starving, the idea of “stealing from the rich to feed the poor” came from Thalia’s mouth for the first time, after a whole night of brainstorming.

  And Alice... thought for a moment and accepted the idea.

  Faced with the nightmare that is hunger, what did it matter if the imperial army was after her? Why hide? Why run?

  It wasn’t just an illegal casino, if it were a floating warship, Alice would still have the guts to break in and loot it.

  In the end, kneeling on the cold and silent rooftop, the little girl’s only real concern was the fact that... her motivation as a “magical girl” was anything but pure.