Chapter 30 : The Third Light

“The Dream of… Walpurgis?”

“What is… that…?”

“More importantly, you’re saying we should have a meeting… just among ourselves?”

“Yes, magical girls will decide on magical girl matters.”

Flash!

The first rule was engraved on the girls’ Glass Stars.

[Magical girls will decide on magical girl matters.]

“That is the first rule for magical girls living on my domain.”

“Domain?! Don’t tell me that glass-like… curtain covering all of Japan…?!”

“Yes, it’s my domain.”

I answered the bewildered girls with a confident smile.

With the spirit that Master had taught me sometime.

“…”

“…”

As such, an enormous scale story popped out, and the color drained from the girls’ faces.

Some girls were gulping down the tea in front of them, unable to bear their thirst.

I spoke while instructing the domain to refill the empty teacups.

“I really don’t understand anything you’re saying. Why should magical girls act outside the realm of the constitution?”

“I’m not saying to completely isolate from society.”

I turned my gaze from Himari and met the eyes of each girl looking at me fearfully.

“Let’s decide all matters in Japan that are carried out using magical girl powers… supernatural abilities through meetings in the ‘Garden.’”

“What if someone doesn’t follow what’s decided here?”

“They will lose the sparkle of their star in my domain.”

“Are you saying magical girls who don’t like what you say should leave for other countries?”

The girls listening to the exchange between Himari and me had shocked expressions.

“No, as I said from the beginning.”

I spread both hands towards the magical girls gathered in the center of the garden.

“I appoint all of you magical girls as members of the ‘Dream of Walpurgis’ council.”

“Dream of Walpurgis…”

“You can meet there regularly and decide on magical girl matters.”

“W-We can’t handle such an important task…”

“Magical girl of [Beginning], then what exactly are you deciding?”

Sumire was still pale but was quickly regaining her composure while taking deep breaths.

“I’m just setting the rules for this domain and lending the place.”

“Are you saying the council members can operate a self-governing body as they please?”

“Second rule.”

I answered Sumire’s question by proclaiming a rule instead.

[The right and wrong of meetings are based on one’s own beliefs.]

“You can decide for or against based on your beliefs, not things outside this ‘Garden.’ Because only magical girls can enter here.”

Flash

Hundreds of stars with different colors were engraved on the glass curtain surrounding the garden and rose to the sky.

“Just remember that any magical girl can watch the Dream of Walpurgis in this ‘Central Garden’ as an observer or juror.”

Some girls lowered their heads, perhaps feeling chills at the thought that each of the hundreds of stars engraved in the sky was watching them.

“Let’s prohibit violence in the ‘Central Garden’ as angry magical girls who disagree with the meeting content might barge in.”

“B-But even if we decide here, I wonder if the company people will understand…”

I heard a worried voice from a magical girl who seemed particularly conscious, perhaps chosen from among affiliated company families.

“Third rule.”

[All magical girls can request help from the Garden.]

“Even excluding this Central Garden, the ‘Garden of Dreams’ is connected to infinite dream spaces.”

I felt some of the stars in the sky focusing on my words directly testing the space.

“If you feel threatened or oppressed, please request help from me. However, I can ‘sense’ your mental images here. Please do not test me with lies.”

[Magical girls will decide on magical girl matters.]

[The right and wrong of meetings are based on one’s own beliefs.]

[All magical girls can request help from the Garden.]

“Where is this meeting heading?”

“Hope… because magical girls give dreams and hope.”

Some girls agreed with my words, while others dismissed them as nonsense.

But if they ‘communicate’ through their own beliefs, not as puppets of society, perhaps they could really become the hope of this world.

“I’d like to give a gift to those of you who respect the rules I’ve set.”

Pop!

The letters M.M floated above the three rules engraved on the girls’ Glass Stars.

Magical

Merchandise

“M… M…?”

“What is this now…?”

“It’s a system where you can receive useful gifts containing girls’ dreams with magic recovered by leading others with dreams.”

In my domain, using magic obtained through plunder is prohibited.

When I concentrated a bit of magic on the Glass Star, a small macaron popped out.

Someone took out a teddy bear, someone else a bouquet.

“We will lead fate with dreams and move towards hope.”

I gifted the small macaron to Tsugumi who was standing blankly.

“Magical girls’ dreams don’t always flow in a direction that’s kind to others. I’m counting on you for those times.”

“Ah, y-yes…”

“Then let’s conclude the inauguration ceremony of the Dream of Walpurgis.”

Pop!

Pop!

Light appeared under the girls’ feet, and they started returning to the original meeting hall where they were.

From the next meeting, they’ll probably have to create it themselves.

By now, all the lights engraved on the ceiling had disappeared too.

Only silence filled the garden in the quietly floating glass sphere.

Only one girl remained in front of me.

Fujimoto Sumire.

“…”

She’s the person I should face first if I have to change fate, but I actually don’t know her well.

Even in the original work, she only appears occasionally in volume 1 before dying along with the end of the old era as a minor character.

[What I… wanted to protect… wasn’t… the name…!]

Now that I’ve decided to save everyone living in this world from the fate of destruction…

‘Let’s give her one chance.’

“Fujimoto-san.”

“Yes.”

“This world will be destroyed by great evils next year.”

“…What?”

“The reason magical girls appeared, <Magical Girl HAZARD>, and the red broadcast… all of these were born to destroy this world.”

Sumire’s eyes shook violently when she heard the words I said.

She was breathing heavily, and her hands were trembling.

She’s probably confused as to why I’m telling these things to her, a human of Fujimoto.

“The reason I don’t bring down Fujimoto, and the reason I showed all of this, is to prevent that.”

“Wh-Why are you telling me this?”

“Because your fate as a magical girl is [Protection], not you who mechanically follows the will of Congressman Fujimoto… your father.”

I hinted at her fate while tying a blue ribbon on Sumire’s finger.

A clue to blooming.

The fate she should follow.

Sumire stared blankly at that blue ribbon.

Her mental image, gradually regaining stability and recalling the meaning of [Protection], was running towards some kind of conviction.

This moment is probably the turning point where her image differs from that in the original work.

“…What should I do?”

“Please lead magical girls towards hope in the Dream of Walpurgis.”

“It won’t be easy. Many will resist.”

“If it’s the magical girl way, not the Fujimoto way, you can definitely do it.”

“…”

Sumire nodded with difficulty while looking at her lavender Glass Star.

“[Protection]…”

Sumire muttered while stroking the blue ribbon tied on her finger.

“It’s… what my little sister… told me.”

For the first time, her consistently sharp expression softened and a faint smile appeared.

“What I couldn’t protect… so now I think I know… what I should protect now.”

Pop

Sumire, who had been muttering for a moment, quietly disappeared, enveloped in light, back to where she was initially.

“…”

Silence.

Now I was the only one left in the Central Garden.

I slowly walked towards the glass wall.

I’ve done it.

Now I must fight a life-or-death battle with [War] to protect this domain.

Although [Revelation], who didn’t show much interest in humans, and [Death] and [Plague], who settled in places where humans don’t live, are also concerning.

[War] will definitely come here where magical girls are gathered and try to reclaim the domain.

‘If I lose, the garden will become a hall of war, and the Dream of Walpurgis will change to a duel ritual.’

In June next year, when that one wakes up according to the cycle set by the evil gods, I had to defeat her no matter what.

‘I need companions. Ones who can overwhelmingly defeat [War] and fight against demons…’

I can’t look after each 1-star girl growing like sprouts now.

Now that I’ve isolated Japanese magical girls from Fujimoto’s threat, I need to bloom strong ones with trustworthy character who appeared in the original work.

At this point, when it’s an unclaimed territory with born 3-stars not awake yet, I had to actively expand the domain and be together with magical girls.

‘I also need to recruit foreign magical girls that the protagonist Yuki saw while escaping Japan and heading towards [Death]’s domain at the northern end in the original work.’

Because <Magical Girl HAZARD> was a Japanese light novel, I thought the setting of 70% of magical girls residing in Japan was because of that, but living in this world made me wonder ‘Is it really because it’s Japan?’

‘The line ‘the land where the goddess’s remains fell’ in [War]’s domain declaration also bothers me.’

I’m anxious.

I’m impatient.

It’s uncertain.

There’s too much to prepare.

If it was going to be like this, I should have made up my mind faster.

No

It’s not too late yet.

From now on, I just need to prepare my best.

From now on, I will defeat [War] and save the whole world from demons.

‘For that, I should first go to where [Sea] and [Dream] live.’

I want to recruit the protagonist, Yuki, first, but the original work does not mention her whereabouts until January next year.

’10 months until [War] wakes up, no time to waste on uncertainties.’

[Sea] and [Dream], who appeared as foreign strong ones, appeared as natives of the first country that came up as the protagonist fled to [Death]’s domain.

I let out a hollow laugh.

To think that the choice I had turned away from to take a selfish path in hesitation now appears before me.

“I guess I can return to my hometown after a long time.”

To Korea in this world, not the world where my mother is.