So anyway, the rest of my Saturday was just trying to do homework and study. Hard as it was to resist my tentacles, I had to wash and change the sheets to make sure no one noticed…my panties were completely soaked in black, I might need to toss those out.

I didn’t see Hikari before she left before Sunday morning; I woke up late enough that she left before me, and it’s already past noon. Not even a note or a text about the ‘toy’! Maybe she was so drunk she forgot about it? Mom did say she seemed to be having more than usual. My tentacles just kind of dissolve when they’re not needed, so once Hikari was ‘done’ with it, it’d probably just have disappeared. A bit iffy, but even if I hate how much Hikari drinks, i-it’s kind of useful in this one instance? I guess?

A-and that’s if she even used it at all. So it’s nothing to worry about! And it’s certainly nothing that gives me this warm, wonderful feeling at corrupting my very flesh and blood, definitely not! T-that’d be wrong!

A-anyway. My parents ended up going out on an impromptu date or something – I’m assuming it’ll quickly turn into an argument and they won’t be home until 1 AM or so – so even though I promised to stay home, I rented an e-bike and now I’m walking down the path to the beach at Tashiro Coast!

(S-sorry, mama, papa! But I’m a magical girl, so I need to get used to sneaking out anyway! I can’t let my filial obligations prevent me from doing my duty!)

It’s not too long until I get to the beach, thankfully. Since the currents here are so strong, no one actually comes here to swim much. Sometimes some locals or surfers, but no tourists, thankfully. I’m not actually that bad a swimmer (I actually really enjoy it), so even without my newfound magical power, I can usually handle myself. But that’s not actually why I’m here.

Okay. My first debut as the Astral Queen Maledicta went poorly. But that doesn’t mean I’ll give up on my dream of being a magical girl of justice! Now that I’ve got some time alone, far from cameras and family, I can get used to my powers without being judged by the magical girls!

Now all I need to do is transfo–

Wait. I can’t just transform lazily! I’m a proud heroine in the long-standing tradition of Japan’s transforming heroes! I need a proper pose! And a catchphrase!

Okay, let me think. It needs to be dynamic! It needs to be impressive! Even if no one sees it, except possibly the magical girls of whatever team I end up join, I’m honor bound as a heroine of Japan to make it as cool as humanly possible! It’s not just for me, it’s for my country!

But I think I have something.

I raise my hand, and let out my transformation cry:

“Majestic Release!”

My clothes explode into cosmic black, and I bend over and raise my leg one hundred and eighty degrees, spinning as I’m surrounded by the cosmos! From within my womb, my countless tendrils birth, resolving around my body as my costume, skin and hair and eyes and tentacles emerging as I leap forward, spin on the tips of my toes, and point forward proudly with my hands as the last of the blackness left inside me splatters onto the ground and stains it black! A-ah, I…I came again! At least there’s no witnesses to see how much I’m enjoying myself~

“The stars favor me!” I cry out, as my tentacle costume roils, and I lick my lips. “All evil will bow before me!” I wink, and blow a kiss at the imaginary camera!, a little pink heart flying out! “Dreams of all, lift me high!” I bend forward, showing off my chest, my nipples, even flipping around for a short ‘upskirt’ so everyone can see my tentacles emerging from my womb! “Here to grant your desires…”

Pointing at the imaginary camera and the dangerous kaiju that would no doubt be behind it, I make a final battle cry!

“Magical girl of love and dreams, Astral Queen Maledicta! I’ll make that knot in your heart come undone!”

…and once I’m done, I lick my lips again, feeling another sweet release of ink onto the sadly unappreciative sand below.

Oh…oh my. I think I can get used to that 🖤

Of course, I didn’t come here just because it’s secluded. I came here because of the water! I wanted to see how my tentacled, octopus-like form performs in the ocean!

The waves and tides are higher than they were in my parents’ day, and it seems like they’re particularly high today. It’d be quite dangerous to surf, and yet…

and yet, when I step into the sea, all I can think of is…

how is this so easy?

Using nothing but my tentacles and ink, I start to propel myself across the ocean’s surface! Aah, it’s so fast! If they let me do long-distance swimming, I’d surely be a gold medalist, unless magic is cheating! Aaah…

I can see the waves!

I start to nyooooooom over the water’s surface out into the East China Sea! Ah, but if I stay on the surface, someone will see me, so…

I dive down.

I dive beneath the surface, and hold my breath! But it’s so easy! I could hold my breath for so long! I can propel myself so easily! I’m so fast! I can see so clearly, too! I’m a water adapted magical girl, and as I look up to the faint impression of the sun above…

I can see the waves! They’re spilling over me, filling my insides 🖤

Eventually, I do need to come up for air, but it’s been at least an hour or two! I’m sure with practice and magic, I could stay down there as long as I like! I want to make friends with all the creatures of the deep, and see long-sunken shipwrecks! I could even find long sunken military ships and delve into their secrets! Magic is amazing!

Only uh. Only one problem, really, as I surface atop the ocean, sitting on a tentacle throne as I look around and see nothing but blue…

Where the heck am I?