The Hotel Concierge

The Magician Arc

Sitting on the edge of the rooftop, Magical Girl Starplus scowled into the distant lights of the city, licking her wounds.

Two of them. And worse, they’d gotten the jump on her. That first one was feisty, the fight would’ve been closer had she not been able to close the gap. It was clear to Starplus that some sort of corruption was rife in this city. Constellation and her superior, SilkSwan, were right. She hated to admit it, even privately to herself, but she was in real trouble if another fight broke out and the others weren’t here.

Starplus was used to fighting as part of a team. She’d fought alongside the other two in a variety of battles against Spectres and their many other forms throughout her time as a Magical Girl. Despite her brash racer-girl attitude, she was not as capable single-handed as she liked to lead on.

She clutched her side and grimaced. The cracked ribs were healing. The injuries had been severe, and if she’d dropped form she would’ve passed out a long time ago, so she couldn’t take that chance.

Something was wrong with this city. Constellation had said something about Necromancy in their meeting, and Starplus had nodded along, not really thinking about it. But all the things she saw filled her with dread and numbness.

Magical Girls all had an innate power, their Resonance. That power was mostly unique to them, although there were cases of overlap. Some were even powerful enough to have a second Resonance, but they were rare. Resonance was a special edge they had over other magical beings. The most common types were combative, but…

Necromancy. That was one of the rarest powers, and one you never saw. Not out in the open. The ability to create monsters from misery and death, even reviving corpses and creating undead abominations… the thought made Starplus shudder. It was banned. Any Magical Girl with a necromantic Resonance would have their power sealed and mind wiped, never to participate in Magical Girl society again. The Realm insisted it was safer that way, and Starplus couldn’t help but agree with their assessment.

She looked around and checked the time. They’d said they’d be arriving in the city around this time, so she was on the lookout. She checks her compact, a magical communicator given to all Magical Girls who need to work in a team, and tries to call again.

θ Magical Girl Sleepy Angel θ

I yawn and stretch, wiping my eyes tiredly. I've always been a low energy girl. When everyone wants to go to karaoke, I would go home for a nap. I was the one who fell asleep in the sunbeams pouring in through the window at school, too. Sleepiness is to me what breathing is to others, so I don’t mind it too much when people call me lazy or unmotivated. My compact magical phone is ringing, so I promptly ignore it.

Constellation had been delayed somewhere on the journey, and had sent me ahead to meet up with Starplus. No doubt our girl racer would want to go exploring, or on patrol, or even just hit nightlife spots on her first official night in the city.

I yawn and stretch again. No. I’d go find somewhere to nap. The hotel wasn’t booked in my name, so I’d probably need somewhere else. Capsule hotels were cute, but I don't mind where I end up as long as it's soft, so I’d let the mood take me where I needed.

Strolling through the streets of Tokyo isn’t an experience I enjoy. It’s loud, bustling, and you have to be paying attention. Back home, my district is a sleepy village where nothing really happens. It’s peaceful, and I can have a lot of long nights of rest. Not like here. The city is big, and it’s loud, and there’s a lot of it.

Peacefully moving through the crowds, I’m glad that my form isn’t one that stands out too much. No lizard tail, horns, or rabbit ears for me. Not even hooves. Just a cute outfit that resembles a set of pajamas and some fuzzy bunny slippers. One of them has a loose eye, hanging by a thread. It's been that way since I first transformed. Apparently Magical Girl aesthetics demand a certain level of non-functional cuteness.

The lack of inhuman features allows me to be in form whenever I want, which is great for me personally and also helps with being undetected. I remember when I met a Magical Girl who looked as if she was comprised of sludge, and I couldn't help but feel sorry for her. I spend so much time unnecessarily transformed that Starplus says I'm addicted. Everything is just so much brighter, more vivid, more real, when in my magical form. The tastes, smells, sounds... Plus I get the sort of attention that I yearn for throughout my dull normal life. Back in high school, the boys in my class made a secret ranking of the girls and I scored bottom third. They got their asses kicked by the teachers, but that sort of hollow confirmation stings long after the wound. Part of me wishes I could show them how cute I look now, just to rub it in their faces. But that's probably against the rules.

I sigh at another hotel I pass is displaying “No Vacancies”. And another. It’s summer, so I’m surprised by how few there are. Finally, I find a narrow hotel and step inside.

The atrium is warm. A large staircase with velvet-lined plush hand rails dominates the back of the area, giving a luxury feel despite an absence of guests. I approach the concierge, a woman in an exotic outfit. Fishnet stockings and a tailcoat, a purple waistcoat, black heels that are razor sharp, and a hat with a silk band that drapes down over her shoulder. She gives me a broad smile with her ruby-red lips. It feels different from the usual customer-service smile.

“Room for one?” I ask, she gives a smile and nods. She’s oddly quiet, so I look at her for confirmation.
“Where is it?” She places a finger to her lips, and gestures for me to follow. Oh, I get it. Thin walls, don’t want to wake the guests. She leads me through the atrium to the staircase, and gestures for me to climb it. Despite how wide it looked from the entrance, the steps are narrow and I find myself wobbling as I climb it… I’m not that tired, am I?

Something churns in the back of my mind, distracting me. I take a step onto a landing-

And fall. Eyes wide in surprise, I fall right through the second story like it’s nothing, landing face down on the ground. The cold, hard, wet, and rough carpet… that’s not what carpet feels like.

I get up, and I hear swearing.

“Why the hell was she already transformed?!” A shrill woman’s voice yells, angry and confused. I blink, then things start making sense. Oh. Oh. It was a trap.

The building around me disappears, furthest points away to the closest, and I’m standing in a dark alleyway. Just me and the Concierge.
“An illusion!?” I hiss under my breath, darting around. The concierge stares with a scowl, still dressed like some kind of street magician. She's taken aback, and I use that moment to my advantage.
“Sleep beam!” I hold my fingers out and fire a gentle blue beam at her. My resonance saps the energy out of people and creatures it hits, exhausting them. With enough hits, even a powerful Magical Girl will fall into a deep sleep.

But the Magician-like girl, definitely not a real concierge, ducks out of the way. I’m aware that she’s hostile, and from the speed of her motions, definitely more like me than a civilian.

“So, are you the one behind what’s going on?” I say to her, stepping forth. She smirks, raising her palms.
“Guilty.” She says with a laugh. As I watch, she ducks down low and starts charging towards me. I begin firing sleep beams at her, one after another, but she’s able to resist and avoid them all.

Damn, this is going to get tougher than I thought.

She lands a punch hard in my solar plexus, and I grunt in pain. I swing a punch right for her, smacking into the side of her head, and try to regain my senses. I notice her backing away, and I go in for a charged kill, striking at her with my leg to sweep hers out. She’s too quick for that, and instead hops over and lands another punch in my face. This time, I stagger back, and am barely able to block as a series of super-powered high speed punches pummel me until I’m backed up against a wall. I lower my arms, goading her to strike.

She raises her hand to hit my face, and takes the bait. As she swings to hit, I duck down and she embeds her arm elbow-deep into the wall. Crouching below, I jump up to headbutt her under the chin with full force and weight behind me. It hits hard, and she slumps as I grab the fire escape above and fling myself across the alleyway to the other side.

I look back to see her, staring at me. Her arm’s pulled free from the wall, and she’s ready to charge, laughing like a creep from a bad nightmare. I fire off my sleep beam at the woman, but she ducks around it.
"Sleep beeeam! Sleep BEAM!" I yell out each one, but she's able to predict the slow moving beams and duck and dodge around them.

Despite her speed, I'm in this to win. If I bring her in now, I can take the rest of the trip for myself. Constellation bought good rooms in a fancy hotel, so the bed and room service would be on her until we have to go back.

I let that motivate me, and throw a punch at her face. This one swings… through her? Dammit, an illusion! Of course, if she could make an alleyway look like a hotel, she could make an image of herself. I barely have time to process this as a high kick strikes me from the side, and I smash into the dumpster from before, leaving a me-shaped dent in its side.

I get up as she tries another jumping kick, this time she’s not ready for me, though. I grab her leg and spin around, throwing her across the alleyway with all the force I can muster.

I hear her slam into the ground, and see her cowering, face bloodied, covering her head. Her hat had fallen off at some point.

I crack my knuckles and look at her.
“Don’t try to resist.” I order. She looks at me with fear in her eyes, and then smirks. She’s about to do something- I knew it was a trap! As she raises her arms to attack me, I don’t take the chance, running up to her, I jump into a hard kick and slam my heel into her face, sending her flying backwards.

The Magician’s form disappears, revealing a middle-aged woman dressed like a housewife. I approach her cautiously, even in an unconscious state, a Magical Girl still possesses an indomitable spirit. Her face is caved in from the kick. It makes me feel sick, I’ve never done that much damage to someone. I kneel down to check if she survived that-

There’s a searing pain as I’m struck from behind.

Another illusion…? Another attacker...

I've gotta get out of here and warn them.

✰ Magical Girl Starplus ✙

She’s late. And I’m worried. No, I’m real scared. After the power I saw on display tonight, I can’t let her put her guard down. Sleepy Angel is tough, but they were able to gang up on me.

I send another message to her, no reply.

I don’t know when I started pacing the rooftop, but at some point it happened.

“You’re going to wear a hole in the floor.” Constellation observes as she lands near me. I turn to face her.

“Where’s Sleepy? Wasn’t she going ahead?” I ask, and Constellation shrugs.
“I assume that she decided to use the free time to take a nap somewhere.” Constellation replies, and I grunt in annoyance.
“She should’ve told me! It’s real dangerous in the city right now.”
“Is it that bad?” I turn to face Constellation, eyes dark.
“It’s that bad.” I stare, not breaking her eye contact. Constellation puts her finger to her lips.

We’re both surprised to hear a Magical Girl arrive on the roof near us.
“Sleepy! Where have… you…” I stare wide eyed and run to her, so does Constellation.

“I’m hurt…” mutters the bruised, bloodied girl in my arms. She pushes her way up from me. Her eyes look panicked, pupils dilated, and her breath is shallow. She’s covered in violent red bruises, across her face and body.

“What happened?!” I say, looking at her. Constellation is visibly shaken, too.
“I was attacked. An ambush. Magical Girls.” Sleepy Angel says, each word sounding harsh, like it’s being dragged a long way. I clench my fists as she gets to her feet and looks at us both.
“I’m gonna kill them.” I curse, Constellation places a hand on my shoulder.
“We must try to apprehend them. It seems that SilkSwan’s theory is correct. The Magical Girls in this district are using Necromancy.” She stares between both of us, and I give a sullen nod, Sleepy Angel gives a jerkier, but still visible, nod.

“They created zombies out of the dead to sell their crackpot theory. But they didn’t know that we would get involved.” I growl out, furious that so many idiots had fallen for their trick.

“Purification… is a lie.”