Alice felt doomed.
The blonde girl in a Japanese school uniform stared at the writhing tentacle monster before her, her legs trembling uncontrollably.
For the past six months, people had been disappearing throughout the city. No matter how thoroughly the cases were investigated, no clues could be found. Because of this, various urban legends had begun to spread.
Some claimed the missing people had been spirited away. Others said they had been transported to another world. Someone on an online forum even insisted that they had witnessed one of the disappearances, claiming they saw a person dragged away by a tentacle reaching out from a sewer.
That story was quickly proven false because the sewers in that area were far too narrow.
Alice had not wanted to go outside at night either. The city had become far too dangerous.
However, she had become unbearably hungry and decided to visit the convenience store near her home to buy some snacks before returning.
She never expected to encounter a monster.
The creature's bright red tentacles twisted and writhed as they approached her.
Alice had already been forced into a corner with nowhere left to escape.
At that moment, she began looking back on her life.
...Although, after only fourteen years, there was not much to look back on.
"Waaah! If I'd known this would happen, I would've just endured being hungry! Now I didn't even get to eat my snacks, and I'm about to become a monster's dinner!"
Alice covered her head and crouched down, waiting for death.
Then a piercing scream came from in front of her.
The roar of flames followed.
After that, she smelled something resembling badly burned meat.
Alice opened her eyes.
A handsome gray-haired young man wearing a black trench coat stood before her, holding a flaming longsword.
Only a pile of black ash remained where the monster had been.
"Could this be the legendary beginning where a beautiful girl meets a mysterious knight from the hidden side of the world?"
"Then we'll experience all kinds of adventures together. Through a series of coincidences, we'll gradually fall in love, defeat the final enemy, save the world, and eventually walk down the aisle together!"
Alice's eyes shone brightly.
She had already begun imagining how many children they would have and what names she should give them.
The moment she thought about having children, scenes from certain manga and magazines flashed through her mind.
Her face immediately turned red, her eyes grew slightly unfocused, and she unconsciously pressed her legs together.
Caelus looked at the girl sitting on the ground, who had somehow become visibly excited, and asked, "Are you all right? Did that monster poison you somehow?"
"Ah! I'm fine! Hello! Thank you for saving me. My name is Alice Liddell. I'm fourteen years old. I attend Private Hanatama Academy. I'm in the second year of middle school, Class C, and I like cooking..."
Caelus silently watched as the girl inexplicably began revealing all her personal details.
He put away the flaming longsword and waited as her voice gradually grew quieter.
Once she finally stopped speaking, he asked, "You said your name is Alice Liddell?"
"Yes!"
Although the name might have been fairly common, and countless people across different universes could naturally share the same name, Caelus could not help feeling that anyone called Alice Liddell was somehow connected to Nyarlathotep.
He examined her carefully through fate, causality, life level, soul frequency, and the timeline.
After confirming that she was nothing more than an ordinary fourteen-year-old girl, Caelus shook his head.
"Go home early."
Then he disappeared.
Alice stared at the place where Caelus had vanished.
He had left just as silently and suddenly as he had appeared to save her.
"Ugh! I knew I made a terrible impression. I didn't even learn his name."
Alice rubbed her flushed cheeks, sighed, and picked up the bag of snacks she had dropped earlier.
She hurried home, not wanting to encounter another danger.
As she walked, she kept thinking about the hero who had saved her.
The more she thought about him, the more handsome he seemed.
"Several girls at school already have boyfriends. Before long, everyone might have one. If that happens, will I become the odd one out?"
"Should I try talking to someone too? But if I really had to choose a boyfriend, I'd rather find that hero from earlier..."
"I guess I'm not really the heroine of a romance manga. What kind of heroine risks her life just to buy snacks? That sounds more like a comedy character..."
"Huh?"
As Alice reached her front door, she noticed something lying on the ground nearby.
Judging by its shape, it looked like a small doll.
Alice stepped closer and picked it up.
It was actually a tiny fairy with transparent wings.
The sleeping fairy resembled a young girl with green hair. She wore a green dress and tightly held a strange pink wand.
Alice suddenly felt as though she was about to become involved in something extraordinary.
First came the monster she had encountered.
Then the handsome young man with the flaming sword appeared.
Now there was a tiny fairy.
Could it be?
Was she really the heroine after all?
Alice excitedly carried both the snack bag and the little fairy.
She unlocked the gate to her yard, locked it behind her, and hurried into the house.
After locking her bedroom door twice, Alice placed the fairy on her bed and began calling to her softly.
Her voice seemed to carry a strange magic.
The tiny fairy quickly woke.
When she saw the blonde girl staring at her with concern, she immediately spread her transparent wings and flew into the air.
"Wonderful! I finally found you, Alice Liddell!"
"You are the one chosen by destiny! You are the savior who will change this world and rescue it!"
"Huh? Me?"
Although Alice had just been imagining herself as the heroine, she was completely bewildered when someone actually told her she was destined to save the world.
"Yes, you! You are the chosen one, the savior destined to rescue this collapsing and chaotic world."
"So sign a contract with me and become a magical girl who will save the world!"
"Can I really do it?"
"Of course. No one else can."
"Although there are other magical girls in this world, only you can truly save it!"
"All right! I want to become a magical girl!"
"My name is Lief, and I will be your personal fairy. I look forward to working with you from now on!"
"I look forward to working with you too."
The moment their hands touched, a gentle smile appeared on Lief's face.
"Then the contract is complete."
(To be continued.)
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◇ One bonus chapter will be released for every 200 Power Stones.
◇ You can read the ahead chapter on Pat if you're interested: p-atreon.c-om/Blownleaves (Just remove the hyphen to access normally.)