episode_0004

The lifespan of magical girls is commonly said to be 20 years old.

Until before the age of 20, magical girls who possessed tremendous and pure mana gradually lose the quantity and quality of that mana as they become ‘adults’ one by one.

Of course, there are many who continue to work as magical girls even after turning 20.

But isn’t there a societal stigma attached to it?

-A 2X-year-old magical girl…?

If you call someone a 1X-year-old magical girl, everyone accepts it, but if you call them a 2X-year-old magical girl, people either press the laugh button or look at them pitifully with a wry smile. That’s the reality.

In fact, as adults become more immersed in the secular world, the mana of magical girls wears away.

Whether they drink alcohol, smoke, or date men.

That’s why people treat magical girls similar to female idols.

If female idols are considered to be in their prime from the late teens to the early to mid-twenties, magical girls can be seen as cases where that spectrum shifts from the early to late teens.

Therefore, most people consider 20 years old to be the retirement age for magical girls.

In cases where a magical girl becomes one at 19 and somehow continues to work as a magical girl until 21 or 22, even they are eventually pushed out by younger (…) magical girls.

Frankly speaking, age is power for magical girls.

Even after the retirement age has passed, even after turning 20, people refer to those who continue to work as magical girls as ‘witches.’

Calling them witches sounds odd.

Yet, they are no longer young or small like girls, but adult women.

So, according to traditional views, calling them witches is actually appropriate.

Now, a question arises here.

[If Malkut Zoa and Sandalphon still possess the skills of their prime, are they magical girls or witches?]

[[[Eeee]]]

“That’s right.”

I became curious at the words of the TV panel.

“Don’t you think so? Even the great Metatron is now 19 years old this year. After four seasons, she can no longer be called a magical girl.”

“Are you criticizing Metatron?”

“It’s not criticism, I’m stating a fact. Since Metatron officially revealed her identity.”

A data screen appears.

Shiina Ichirin (19 years old, magical girl).

Despite looking Japanese, she resembles a high school girl from Korea who cuts her skirt up to the limit instead of rolling her bangs.

However, the magical girl named ‘Metatron’ next to her captures the girlish appearance she had when Shiina Ichirin was just 10 years old.

“Thanks to Metatron, Japan has been peaceful for the past 10 years, no, the world has been peaceful. That’s an undeniable fact.”

“But is Sandalphon stronger?”

“We can’t determine superiority in strength, but if we were to name the strongest magical girl in history, I would choose Sandalphon.”

Next to Metatron.

A picture of a high school girl who looks similar to Shiina Ichirin, who looks much older than the 10-year-old girl, appears.

“No, seriously.”

Even with the data screen, how can they show such an embarrassing bikini photo.

“Could it be that Sandalphon, who has this body, is younger than Metatron?”

“I don’t know. In rural areas, aren’t there magical girls who show adult-like development even though they’re in fifth grade? Like ‘Recorder Zoa’…”

“She’s a member of Recorder Zoa, not Recorder Zoa!”

“What are you suddenly saying? What nonsense.”

As I pick up some karaage bought at a nearby large mart with a 70% discount for the closing sale using chopsticks, I listen closely to the panels chatting away.

[Anyway, Sandalphon must still be strong! She was undoubtedly the strongest magical girl in history and is without a doubt the strongest magical girl even now!]

[But Sandalphon, if she was 19 during her active duty, wouldn’t she be 29 now? Am I older than her?]

[Aaargh!!]

“Look at that?”

Already feeling dirty since morning, it made me feel even dirtier.

“She’s actively deceiving her age and acting like she’s really thirty, criticizing someone who is 27?”

It’s not because of age.

There wasn’t even a chance to get scratched like that in the first place.

It just makes me angry that a woman who came out as a C-rank magical girl has been deceiving her age since her magical girl days, coming out three years younger on entertainment shows as a “veteran magical girl” and deceiving the world.

“Ugh, that’s why I hate hiding my identity.”

Sometimes, I want to create a personal SNS account to reveal my true feelings.

I want to spill out all the thoughts bottled up inside using an anonymous SNS mainly used by magical girls or using alternate accounts.

But I can’t.

If I do that…

“Ugh. I might end up like Dongtan….”

It’s not my story, but a certain magical girl did that.

She was a magical girl living in Dongtan, and she said things like ‘Isn’t that demon thing actually lame? Like this~’ on an internet community and –

‘A real demon appeared in Dongtan.’

The first demon of Clifort, the great demon Satan.

We commonly refer to him as the demon king, and he got angry after reading the post the demon king had left on the community and descended directly to Dongtan.

And then.

Satan died, rumors spread about a magical girl who defeated Satan, another demon king appeared to challenge that magical girl who defeated the other demon kings, and then another demon king appeared wanting to consume the legacy left by those demon kings and become the great demon….

Until the appearance of the 10th demon king, Nehemah, Dongtan was destroyed.

Thus, all ten demons of Clifort, the ten demon kings of the other world ‘Kabala,’ died.

Officially selected by the ten archangels of Sephira.

“Just a seat.”

These beings, akin to gods in the other world, bestow their divine power, ‘Sephira,’ upon the magical girls of Earth.

Kether, Bina, Hesed… and Malkuth.

And the corresponding angels Metatron, Jardkiel, etc… and finally Sandalphon.

I am the magical girl Sandalphon.

A witch over 20 years old whom others call a failure.

I could make a living by going on broadcasts and revealing secrets like that, but I have to keep hiding my identity and live as discreetly as possible as an outsider.

“But will Sandalphon reveal herself? Even if she only knows about the recent appearance of Satan, they were able to locate Sandalphon, so isn’t that why they appeared?”

“That’s a conspiracy! Sandalphon! Are you watching right now?! If you are, please come back! Even if you’ve weakened, your junior magical girls will protect you!!”

“Sigh.”

The name Sandalphon has become too well-known even in ‘that place.’

“I’ve only taken down three out of the ten demon kings alone.”

-Proving that the one who defeats Sandalphon is stronger than the ten great demons of Clifort.

“Darn it.”

Where I reveal my identity soon becomes a new disaster for humanity.

Dongtan.

To some, it became a city symbolizing world peace, but to others, it became a place of death, destruction, and ‘nothingness.’

Where Sandalphon is, demons come.

Therefore.

Where I go is Dongtan.

The battlefield named Dongtan.

Hell.

* * *

‘Is this hell, or is that hell?’

Pick up a box.

Move the box.

Pick up the next box and move it.

If this word is shortened to three syllables, it can be called ‘sang-ha-cha.’

“Being a magical girl is really comfortable like this.”

A body that doesn’t get tired even after doing heavy lifting.

One might say, “What kind of heavy lifting for a woman!” But when considering healthy labor among the physical work illegal immigrant women can do, there’s no other option.

“Hey, Mr. Mumei! Come and have some bread!”

Fortunately, whether it’s because of the nearby Neodongtan or maybe because it’s a place where people with such stories gather, I’m not sure.

“Thank you.”

“Oh, come on. A young friend comes all the way here and works hard; I should at least do this much. Here, come and eat. What you eat stays with you.”

“Thank you.”

“Haha. It feels good to see someone like Mr. Mumei. Unlike girls these days, working so diligently, not running away, not causing trouble… cough.”

Or maybe it’s because I’m currently disguised by magic, appearing simple and ordinary yet quite unattractive, pretending to be a woman, that everyone just sees me as Laborer A, thankfully.

“But Mr. Mumei, are you free for dinner?”

“Hey, Kintaiyo! Don’t start that again!”

“Oh, sir. Could Mr. Mumei possibly be your daughter?”

“She’s like a daughter, that’s why!”

“With a daughter-like child, how does sir…?”

…Nevertheless, my figure cannot be hidden, attracting those who only approach for my body.

Well, nothing can be done.

This place is relatively better; in convenience stores or elsewhere, there are perverts who try to touch directly.

“Mr. Mumei. However…”

Crash!

A sudden loud noise.

“What, what is it?!”

“This, could it be…!”

And a familiar alarm echoing throughout the factory.

[Emergency situation. Currently, a demon is in that area….]

“Ahhhh!!”

A scream louder than the alarm, from a girl.

“That, could it be…!”

[Kehehehe!!]

In front.

[Seya jjaeung…!]

“No, no!! Don’t come…!!”

Heading towards the magical girl who flew into the factory, a massive, thick mass crawling on the ground.

“Wow, damn.”

A huge amorphous monster, likely around 5 meters long and thicker than a 500-year-old oak tree.

“Tentacle monster.”

The archenemy of the magical girl, a monster mutated and corrupted by Cliport’s demon.

Not a monster, but a monstrosity.

A creature that has given up being human.

“……”

Beside the containers where boxes are placed.

“Ha.”

Whether preparing to repair the container or ready to strike someone from behind.

“Score.”

A harpoon was lying there.