episode_0009

I went for a walk in the park and discovered a mana barrier.

A separate world, ‘Another World,’ is constructed by mana barriers that do not affect Earth.

In reality, it’s an unrealistic arena built by magical girls to confront monsters, beasts, demons, and the like.

Most battles that could have a huge negative impact on reality take place in Another World.

Creating another space within the cracks of the world, producing a distorted 3.5-dimensional space alongside reality—a grand magic.

While it’s a magic any magical girl can unfold, in the past decade, it has become somewhat neglected.

The activities of magical girls should be widely known externally.

However, setting up a field called Another World and confronting monsters without such intentions signifies only one thing.

“I don’t want to show my losing side to the public.”

Even when two magical girls fight against a monster with a 2:1 advantage, victory is not guaranteed.

It’s possible to confine monsters in Another World, but unfolding this means facing a stronger monster, with the risk of not just winning but also losing.

A technique akin to fleeing to avoid being ‘preserved’ as a magical girl’s defeat in society.

There’s no issue with that.

Whatever happens here, ultimately, it’s the responsibility of the magical girl herself.

But I’ve seen several broken magical girls along the way.

For instance, opening Another World to confront a tentacle monster and getting hit by a reverse tourism attack—

“Die, intruder!!”

In a moment of thought, an attack from the crow monster came flying.

“No matter what you are, crossing the barrier means you’re a magical girl too!”

Although not a magical girl but a witch, I dodged the crow monster’s blade-like hand without saying anything.

“A crow itself.”

A crow with a sickle attached to its hand trying to kill?

If it had been green or had flown around, I would have thought of the monsters from the uninhabited generation.

“It looks like a monstrous creature.”

However, the monster in front of me, although from the uninhabited generation, didn’t resemble a child-friendly animation but rather a cruel tokusatsu appearance.

“Die, die, die!!”

Aiming for the neck, stomach, and legs.

The blade barely grazed my polar bear suit, but the tremors near the blade—sonic booms—extended like branches, causing ripples on the suit’s surface.

The opponent, complete.

Although not reaching the ultimate form, having surpassed maturity to become a powerful entity in its entirety.

As there are typically 3-4 individuals in a country who reach the ultimate form, it’s reasonable to assume there are one or two entities at the complete stage.

Approximately A-rank in terms of danger level.

This is my own judgment criteria.

Considering that the devils of Cliport are S-rank to S+ rank, this demon is a considerably powerful entity.

What kind of individuals would try to fight such a being as a magical girl?

Continuing to evade attacks, I observed the two fallen magical girls.

The short blue-haired girl and the long golden-haired girl.

The former clearly exhibited a tsundere disposition, while the latter exuded warmth akin to sunshine from her expression.

“Fené.”

And the two, tightly holding hands, sent me pleading looks as if asking me to win.

With many wounds and especially unable to defeat this crow monster with their own power.

“It seems there’s no backup.”

If they had requested support outside before unfolding Another World, surely someone else would have come to help.

Yet, there’s still no backup.

If help were on the way, one of them would have said, “Just hold on a little longer!”

“Are you trying to catch them secretly?”

Perhaps they are attempting to subdue the crow monster without publicly announcing it.

“It feels like I’m stealing the spotlight, but if I say I caught what you couldn’t catch, that would be strange.”

“Will you keep avoiding forever!!”

Taaat.

They distanced themselves.

As they swung both arms in an X shape, the wind caused the front of the suit to graze by, revealing the suit’s lines due to the momentary gust.

“Hehehe, I don’t know what kind of magical girl you are, but your development is truly amazing! Kehehe…!”

[…….]

Was it excitement at the momentarily exposed body lines?

It’s incredibly uncomfortable.

“I was thinking of ending this quickly anyway, but you’re urging me on.”

“Kihiihi, what are you doing just avoiding-”

“Final Spell.”

As they casually spoke while emitting mana, the crow monster lowered its stance, tensing up.

“W-what did you say?! What did you just say?!”

What did they say?

They just declared.

‘The finishing move.’

This isn’t a fighting game; ‘finishing move’ means it will definitely kill.

Yes.

It’s the finishing move that knocks out the opponent, meaning ‘finisher.’

They declared it while just avoiding attacks all along.

Even though I’ve never attacked once, I blurted out that declaration commonly made by magical girls at the final moment.

In other words,

One-hit finisher.

Well, there’s usually no such thing as a technique name.

“Woongsimcholae.”

Shouting out a technique name that came to mind, I casually extended my fist forward.

With a massive amount of magic power.

* * *

“Karen-chan! That person…!”

“Shh.”

The blue-haired magical girl, Karen, extended her index finger towards her partner.

“You must not interfere with that person’s battle.”

“……!”

“They are completely focused right now.”

Karen watched.

A miraculous series of dodges by a mere paper-thin difference against the complete monster [The Cypher].

Not allowing a single attack was undoubtedly miraculous, but whether by chance or miracle, if it repeats ten or twenty times, it becomes inevitable skill.

“This brat!!”

The crow monster, which had easily conquered them, was being toyed with.

If they allowed even one attack, that polar bear suit could easily be torn apart, but the intruder had not allowed a single attack so far.

“H-However…!”

“You’re not just going to dodge. Clearly….”

Boooom!

“Ah…! Shockwave X…!”

Struck by the intersecting scythe hands in an X shape, the polar bear leaped back.

The mana-infused strike cleaved the space where the polar bear stood, creating a shockwave that dispersed with the wind pressure.

“!!”

“Oh…!”

The two magical girls saw it.

At the moment when the wind covered the intruder, the airy fabric of the suit revealed the body of the magical girl carried away by the wind.

“Incredible….”

“…Insane. At least, G…?”

More significant than combining the chests of the two, a much larger mana pocket was vaguely visible.

It was clearly not bluff or pretense; momentarily, its form was distinctly revealed by the wind.

For a moment, it seemed more like the mature body of a retired witch rather than a magical girl.

Both of them swallowed hard simultaneously, and the crow monster was no exception.

“Hehehe, I don’t know what kind of magical girl you are, but your development is truly amazing! Kehehe…!”

[…….]

An extremely irritating remark.

Seemingly quite annoyed by it, the polar bear reached out with one hand.

“I was thinking of ending this quickly anyway, but you’re urging me on.”

Taking a step forward, they extended their bear paw.

“Kihiihi, what are you doing just avoiding-”

And then, they declared.

“Final Spell.”

The finishing move.

“N-Now…!”

“I’ve declared it. ‘Last’…!”

The act that resembled the consciousness of a magical girl, initiated by the legendary magical girl ‘Sandalphon.’

Once the Last Attack is declared, the opponent must be defeated.

It’s not a law set in stone for magical girls, but rather a rule that comes down like tradition.

[“What, what did you say?! What did you just say?!!”]

Naturally, the one getting angry is the Samakwi monster.

It’s a declaration to kill with one blow against oneself, so it’s natural for the fear to rise.

“Karen…!”

“…Impossible. Taking down an A-rank monster with one blow…?”

Karen gulped down her saliva.

“Such a thing is only possible for magical girls who have reached the ‘ultimate’…!”

[A bear’s heart overflows.]

Lightly, the wind blew.

The mountain breeze-like wind gently tickled Karen and her partner’s cheeks.

Whooosh——!!

And behind the Samakwi monster, crimson mana exploded.

[Huh, huh…?]

A ‘hole’ precisely carved into the chest of the Samakwi monster.

[Strange…? I, I, only once…?]

It was a single strike, yet with that blow, a hole was pierced through the chest of the complete monster.

Tap, tap.

The polar bear lightly brushed its hand while turning its body from the posture of reaching forward.

As if there was no need to look back anymore, the Samakwi monster took a light step forward, extending its unharmed arm, but Karen involuntarily opened her mouth at the flow of magic she saw in front of her.

“Kwaaang.”

□□□□□□!!

With a deafening sound, the Samakwi monster exploded.

Just before the explosion, its entire body split apart in a rainbow glow, triggering a massive magical explosion, leaving nothing behind, as the Samakwi monster detonated.

Thud, thud.

The polar bear walked towards the barrier.

Its steps even seemed somewhat relieved, resembling someone who had just left a neighborhood bar and was going home.

“W-wait a moment!! Who are you, exactly…!”

The polar bear simply raised its right hand to the side.

Swish, swish.

Then, with a light shake of its right hand, the polar bear disappeared from Another World.

“…….”

Thump.

Karen knelt down.

As the barrier of Another World dissipated over time and about 10 minutes later, hurriedly rushing from the Magical Girl Support Headquarters, during that long period, Karen and her partner could only stare blankly in the direction where the polar bear had vanished.

That day.

Rumors of the [Passing Polar Bear] slowly began to spread in Neodongtan City.