As Yoshino stepped inside her home, letting out a dry laugh of relief over getting home alive, she was soon welcomed by a familiar cacophony of voices coming from the living room that greeted her ears.

  If she were to guess, it had been from one of those old movies her mother loved to collect and watch.

  "I'm home!" Yoshino announced, slipping off her shoes beside her brother's.

  Just as she was about to head upstairs, her mother's voice halted her. "Hey! Come here."

  With a sigh, Yoshino turned back, walking mechanically towards her mother, pretending she hadn’t almost lost her life recently. Act natural, she just wants to talk with you.

  The back of her mother's long black hair flowed over the couch. Once Yoshino had stopped by her mother’s side, Kurai paused the movie and turned to face her with a serious look.

  Despite her late thirties, Kurai's youthful appearance belied her age, her light purple eyes framed by round glasses that had somehow survived years of use. Wearing casual, almost disheveled clothing, she raised an eyebrow at Yoshino. "Where have you been that you missed dinner?" she asked sternly.

  Yoshino gulped. "Sorry...Nozomi and I lost track of time at the arcade. It won't happen again," she apologized, betraying no eye contact unless she risked her lie getting exposed.

  Kurai slowly nodded. "Hmm...you better, if you do this again, you're grounded, you hear me? Even if you're with Nozomi, two beautiful young girls, who are very close to each other, shouldn't be walking outside late at night." She sternly told her daughter.

  Yoshino frowned a little at that "close to each other" part, but decided to brush it off so she could get out of this conversation faster."Yes, Mom, I’ll try to do better." She agreed with a nod.

  "Good...now come here!" Kurai beckoned her closer with open arms.

  Biting her lip, Yoshino accepted her second hug of the day, fighting back the urge to cry into her mom's shoulder. She managed to hold her composure as her mother released her and sent her away.

  Watching Yoshino retreat upstairs, Kurai sighed. They grow up so fast, hopefully not too fast for me to miss and regret it! She mused, shaking her head to clear sentimental thoughts. Her eyes brightened as she remembered her current pastime.

  I should probably check on that summon's progress… Her smile turned excited as she unpaused her favorite movie, 'Monster Emperor: The Decisive Battle', just in time for her favorite scene. Right after this one scene, of course!

  As she finished that thought, the giant lizard monster on the screen called for its final move. "Maximum Super God Fire Breath Attack!!!"

  "Maximum Super God Fire Breath Attack!!!" Kurai shouted along with the same enthusiasm as an 8-year old child.

  ***

  In a hotel room, late at night, Life lounged on the balcony in a dark-red armchair, a cold can of soda held in his hand. From a distance, one might think he was admiring the cityscape below—his eyes seemingly fixed on the smaller apartments and houses that dotted the scene.

  However, his mind was far from the urban tableau; it lingered on the day's events.

  Just a couple of hours earlier.

  Life walked through the city’s streets, humming a tune known only to himself. Neon lights from various stores fought for his attention, but only one of them managed to make him stop.

  Turning fully to face what had snagged his attention, he found himself staring at a costume shop. His eyes traced a particular costume on display, a magician's outfit. He examined it meticulously, trailing his gaze from the intricate details of the fabric to the ornate mask the mannequin adorned.

  The dimensional interloper inevitably trailed off to what Death would think if he were to dress himself like this, for when they had the time and were in the mood.

  His thoughts were involuntarily put on hold when he sensed a familiar signature of life coming from above. What the…?

  Craning his neck skyward, he spotted Nozomi high in the sky. Her long white hair billowed as she flew, clad in a school uniform now as white as her hair, and holding a puppy in her arms. The two hurtled through the air with astonishing speed, disappearing out of sight as quickly as they had appeared.

  Life's attention shifted back to the costume, which held his gaze for a few lingering moments before he sighed. I feel like a thief doing this…but time is of the essence. [Armor Skin Menu].

  A digital blue screen popped up in front of him, displaying the usual menu options. He focused on the one labeled [-COPY-].

  Another screen materialized, resembling a camera interface that tracked his head movements. He locked his eyes on the costume, and after a few seconds, a ping signaled the process was over. A smaller menu asked [Use Copied Skin?] with [Yes] and [No] options below.

  Life looked around before deciding to wait until no one was around to see him change clothes.

  With newfound determination, Life began to jog in the direction Nozomi had headed, tracking her life force. Every time he went to cross the busy streets, the traffic lights inexplicably turned red, forcing cars to halt and allowing him to pass without stopping.

  Turning a corner, he stumbled upon a black, dome-shaped barrier about fifteen meters away. Intrigued, he approached cautiously, scanning it from top to bottom. "Uh, what do we have here…" he muttered to himself, stopping just a meter and a half away.

  When he closed the gap to touch it with his left hand, the barrier reacted, repelling his hand. Glancing between his hand and the barrier, an amused smile formed. Yep, dark magic. Definitely not on the same level as Magic's, but ominous enough where even I can tell...

  After some quick calculations in his head, he raised the same hand, now emanating dark, ominous sparks of energy. It had enough energy to open a way in without destroying the entire barrier with everyone inside.

  A cocky smile crept onto his face as he touched the barrier again, this time without resistance.

  The barrier soon began to twist and contort until it formed an entrance resembling a cave. Life stepped inside, the cave sealing shut behind him moments after, plunging him into darkness. After briefly adjusting his glasses, they emitted a faint green light, illuminating the path ahead.

  For the next few minutes, striding confidently through the tunnel, he let his mind wander to what kinds of threats he would encounter and if they would be of any interest.

  This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

  His musing was abruptly cut short as the floor gave way beneath him, sending him plummeting into an abyss of impenetrable darkness.

  A few seconds into his fall, light began to emerge from below, revealing more of his surroundings. His glasses turned off their green light as natural illumination took over. Landing gracefully on one of the many empty rooftops, Life soon moved to the edge, where he sensed Nozomi’s life force coming from below.

  Two figures stood illuminated by a streetlamp—a grotesque human-cat abomination and Nozomi, blood streaming from her wounded shoulder. The sight made Life step back in shock. Wait...why is there blood?! The job's briefing didn't mention any of this!

  Refocusing, he turned to the [Yes] option he had delayed selecting, doing so now.

  His teacher's attire morphed into a silvery liquid, transforming into the costume he had copied from the shop. Now dressed for the occasion, he returned his attention to the figures below.

  They were stationary, neither taking any immediate aggressive action towards one another.

  Increasing the volume settings through another menu, he heard Nozomi's voice clearly, as if she were right beside him. "I see..." she murmured, struggling to stand despite her wounded shoulder.

  Assessing the situation, Life pondered his next move. If the situation called for it, he would step in, but he also wanted to see how she would deal with that monster.

  "So...have you decided? I don't have all night, you know?" the human-cat creature growled impatiently.

  "Yes..." Nozomi replied, a small light glowing from her index finger.

  Life squinted, focusing on the light. Is that…light magic?

  "You might as well drop dead if you think I'm gonna let a piece of shit like you have your way with her!" snapped Nozomi, her voice hard with determination. The monster recoiled slightly, surprised.

  "You little...very well, have it your way then," the monster snarled, readying for another attack.

  Amused enough with her answer, Life clenched his left hand into a fist, silvery liquid metal pooling within it. Opening his hand, he revealed a 500 yen coin. Here’s a distraction. Don't waste it! He flipped the coin, which soon hit the ground below, the sound diverting the monster's attention.

  Seizing the opportunity, Nozomi grabbed a trash can lid and tackled the human-cat, pinning it to the ground.

  Life nodded approvingly at her quick reflexes and effective use of the environment to limit the enemy’s movements.

  But then, a desperate swipe from the monster struck Nozomi in the left eye, drawing blood. She grimaced but fought through the pain of losing an eye, maintaining her hold.

  As the struggle continued, the light from Nozomi's finger grew brighter until she pointed it at the human-cat's head and fired a beam of concentrated magic.

  The monster quickly disintegrated into a cloud of black smoke. Uh, they were made of magic. No wonder I hadn’t sensed them.

  Nozomi lay on the ground, exhausted but victorious. Life noticed her index finger, the source of the attack, was now missing.

  Panic briefly clawed at Life, beads of sweat forming beneath his mask that thankfully hadn’t lasted long as Nozomi's finger began to regrow thanks to the dimming streetlamp. Life blinked in surprise, then let out a nervous sigh. Phew, I almost had a heart attack there!

  After calming himself, he gave his verdict. "Overall, a little rough around the edges, but not bad."

  When he was about to leave, however, Nozomi's voice halted him. "Wait!"

  Life wondered in that brief moment if Nozomi had addressed him. Surely not, righ-?

  The magical girl in white spoke again. "Excuse me, but who are you?"

  With his concerns confirmed, Life sighed in defeat.

  Turning back, he grappled with what to call himself. Eventually, he settled on something fitting, but not before activating his [Voice-Changer] program. "I am...the one who fights in the shadows so you can live in the light. Call me, Outsider!"

  For dramatic effect, silvery liquid metal shot out from his cape, forming a giant spotlight that backlit him. His confident stance was illuminated for Nozomi, who lay bleeding on the ground.

  As soon as it had appeared, the light vanished, the spotlight absorbed back into his suit as he left Nozomi’s sight.

  Turning to the opposite edge of the building, he faced a wall of darkness that stretched infinitely in all directions. He briefly wondered what would happen if someone were to fall into the abyss before growing bored with it.

  He raised his hand, dark sparks crackling from his fingers, and the wall twisted into another entrance. He jumped through the gap effortlessly.

  Outside, he transformed his clothes back to his teacher’s disguise before casually walking off.

  ***

  Back in the present, Life mused over how peculiar this world and its rules were. Kind of reminds me of an old school cartoon...but different in certain aspects.

  Looking away from the city lights, he found the stars above more captivating, finding it a shame no one else in this city could normally see them due to the relentless light pollution.

  His mind soon drifted off to Nozomi and the near-death experience she had. Recalling how, even though there was blood and swearing, the briefing for his job mentioned none of those.

  Finishing the rest of his soda, he couldn’t help but notice and grow amused by how the brand’s name was PurpleSoda.

  At least they were correct about not having the presence of any real corporations. He threw the empty can in the trash before waving his hand for a blue menu screen that materialized with the title [Job Briefing]. Better check if I haven’t missed anything.

  Magical girls, power of friendship, saving the world, forces of evil, teacher's disguise, make it interesting, do not reveal the real identity, make sure the main character doesn't die, or if they do, make sure it isn't permanent. He skimmed the text, noting the [1/2] at the bottom and the [>>] option.

  He came dangerously close to facepalming, taking a steadying breath. Selecting [>>], he cursed his oversight.

  ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------[Job Briefing]-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

  That is, what your job would be at first, but due to certain events that I won't reveal due to your...honestly questionable personal preference about spoilers...I would advise that you at least take a peek ahead in the manga provided to you.

  The one thing that I can say that I think won't be a spoiler to you would be to not judge things as they seem. Hopefully, that was vague enough for you...

  In any case...I suppose I should apologize for calling you at the last minute...again. Things have been quite hectic here with the most popular series that small, less influential series like this one almost passed by our radar.

  Good news, thanks to this world's small impact, you will be allowed to manage it more or less in whatever way you like...as long as the basic rules are followed, of course.

  Adequate compensation will be granted after the job's completion. Good luck.

  ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------[2/2]--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

  Life scowled at the message for a few seconds before closing it with a tired sigh. After briefly pondering the words in the briefing he waved his hand to open another blue menu screen, marking computer-like folders arranged alphabetically.

  Scrolling down, he found the folder labeled [Basic Manual for Overpowers]. Inside, a PDF file bore the same name. Skimming through its digital pages, he found a chapter that caught his eye.

  [Chapter 11 - Your Role In The Narrative]

  As he scrutinized the options, it proved more challenging than expected. Not this one, nor that. Maybe this? No…

  After some time, he found two options that caught his eye. Found it! [Equal Partners] and [Master and Apprentice].

  He weighed the options in front of him before deciding on one. Yes, this one will do nicely.

  With a satisfied smirk, Life soon closed the PDFs and opened another screen marked [CALL]. A list of profile pictures of familiar faces appeared, names beside them. Scrolling down, he found the profile he sought, only to see it was [Offline].

  Sighing, he closed the [CALL] window. Perhaps another time.

  Rising from his chair, soda can in hand, Life left the balcony for his room, deciding to sleep away the remaining hours of the night.