episode_0027

I see colors.

In fact, I see lines.

Sometimes, things I don’t want to see, as if wearing glasses enchanted with some kind of magic, appear. It’s happening now.

“Corruption gauge, corruption gauge.”

I see it.

While invisible to others, through the eyes of an ultimate magical girl, I can see the ‘condition’ of a specific magical girl at a glance.

“It’s rotten.”

It is rotten.

A decaying color.

Like mold spreading thickly in darkness, like contaminated sewage leaving sludge below, it is gradually piling up from below.

Where?

In the lower abdomen.

“If it rots completely, then she will truly become a corrupted witch.”

The term ‘sayakahada’ often comes up as a professional term, but since it’s a term only known by experts, I won’t use it.

Instead, I’ll explain the phenomenon briefly.

Every magical girl has a ‘Sephira Counter’ in her lower abdomen.

Resembling a balance scale, it usually has bright and beautiful primary colors like ripe and colorful fruits.

However, when greatly influenced by negative emotions.

Simply put, when accumulating negative emotions until just before corruption.

This color deteriorates from below, losing saturation, becoming rough, fading, and eventually turning into a strange color similar to a thick gray mess of mixed colors on the palette.

That’s what it means to be rotten.

It’s not about someone just over 20 becoming an adult and being called an old lady, but rather, it’s an expression that a magical girl becomes corrupted and turns into a demon’s servant.

All magical girls live with their own darkness.

Even a magical girl with colors like fruit dyed in primary colors will have a dark shadow underneath.

Even when facing a monster resembling an upside-down wolf, magical girls who fight against it may have a deep darkness beneath the vivid blue color seen above.

Magical Girl Karin.

She is currently confronting the monster with negative darkness, fighting alongside her partner.

[Screams!!]

“Where!”

Bang.

Bullets spew out.

Holding a magical gun similar to a Desert Eagle brought directly from the United States in both hands, she restrains the wolf-like monster, preventing it from rampaging recklessly, pouring out magic bullets.

“Himari, now!”

“Yeah!”

In response to Karin’s shout, Magical Girl Himari leaps forward as always, matching their moves perfectly.

“A rampaging monster, I won’t forgive you~~~!”

Shouting brightly, emitting a radiant light, she swings her orange toy-like sword and sunflower-shaped shield towards the wolf monster.

Although it’s like a toy orange sword and sunflower-shaped shield, the wolf monster dodges the blade and deflects the shield with its claws, creating distance without hesitation.

[Grr, cowardly, fighting together!]

I want to refute that.

What’s wrong with fighting together when it’s not a one-on-one arena duel or a sports competition for honor?

“It’s a part even acknowledged by the Great Demon.”

I want to summon the twin demons who once fought against Sandalphon and ask them.

Is it cowardly to fight together?

They would surely answer like that.

-If you win, isn’t that all?

Yes.

If you win, that’s it.

Cowardly or not, it doesn’t matter as long as you win.

“Noisy, monster!”

Bang!

Karin’s gun spews fire.

Since it’s mana-made bullets instead of mana-filled bullets, even if they hit the surroundings, there are no casualties.

“Are you trying to destroy the road, you terrorist magical girl!”

“Noisy…!”

Tududududu.

Karin’s concentrated shooting towards the wolf monster’s back was certainly impressive.

And Himari’s determination to block the sharp claws with her shield head-on while facing a B-rank combat power wolf monster was also remarkable.

Even if.

Every time the shield is struck, below it, the lower part of the tangerine seemed to soften and rot, but at least its appearance seemed as hard as the peel of an orange or a Hallabong.

That’s right.

It appears.

[Growl!!]

The wolf giant leaps sideways, widening the distance.

To escape from the two magical girls, she runs to the opposite side of the road, but there is someone waiting there already.

“Sorry, but our whole team is currently dealing with you~”

On the opposite side of the road, Shiori stands upright on the tree branch spread out like a net.

[Grr…!]

The wolf giant tries to run away again by running on the ground, leaping over Karin and Himari, but—

“Where do you think you’re going!”

Thud!

“You can’t pass through!”

[Grr, this, monster…!]

Upon seeing Seiya, who vertically thrusts a red baseball bat wrapped in burning flames downward, the wolf giant turns around.

“The opponent’s power level is B0. Not fully matured, a typical mature stage giant.”

Team leader Misaki carefully observes the situation from afar during the battle.

“…No variables?”

Not a question demanding an answer.

In a manner of self-inquiry and self-answer, I silently observe the situation, capturing the battle scenes with the provided camera for future media materials.

For later use in press releases.

I may not write articles, but gathering data for articles is my responsibility.

But I’m not just working as a road manager.

Variables.

Exist.

There are variables such as the appearance of polar bears and the possibility of magical girls falling into corruption.

‘A variable where the opponent suddenly becomes stronger.’

[Groar!!!]

As the RGBy team blocks all directions, the wolf giant, with nowhere to escape, begins to twist while clutching its head.

“That’s…!”

“Rampage, huh.”

“Seiya, Shiori!!”

“”Yes!!””

As Misaki shouts, the two who were blocking the path immediately rush forward.

[Grr, no, I, want to escape from here…!]

The two launch attacks from a distance towards the twisting wolf giant tearing at its head, while Karin reloads her magic bullets and rapidly fires off attacks.

“I hate it…! I don’t want to be trapped again…!!”

“But…!”

However, the attacks do not land.

The hexagonal barrier unfolding around the wolf giant protects it from the attacks of the three, and the wolf giant’s skin slowly begins to crack.

“Could it be awakening to its complete form now? In this situation?”

Sometimes, giants awaken unexpectedly.

It doesn’t happen all the time, but it’s an emergency situation that occurs very coincidentally when various circumstances overlap.

“We have to stop its evolution!”

“I’ll take care of it!!”

Himari rushes forward.

“Himari!!”

Although Karin shouts towards Himari, Himari runs forward, extending her shield and thrusting her sword into it, charging forward.

“Sephira, grant me the power of purification!!”

With a shout, as the sword tip touches the body of the wolf giant.

Swoosh.

Perhaps no one will understand this phenomenon.

“Oh, no…! The giant, it’s awakening!”

“Himari!!”

Just as fate would have it, the reaction to the darkness within the victim pierced by the sword triggers a resonance, making the giant even stronger.

“Himari, no—”

Crack!

With movements resembling an explosion, the wolf giant emits a light akin to darkness.

And after the light fades.

“H-Himari!!”

The wolf giant and Himari had disappeared without a trace.

“…RGB team, everyone!!”

Misaki shouts.

“Find the door to Another World! Quickly!!”

Upon awakening, the wolf giant unfolded Another World on its own and escaped from reality, kidnapping Himari.

* * *

“This place is….”

[You’re the same.]

Magical girl Himari took a step back in the darkness-stained surroundings.

“Ah, how to awaken…?”

[You too, are like me.]

The body of the wolf monster had changed.

Previously resembling something that could come out of a tokusatsu film, a ‘wolf-type full-body armor existence,’ now it looked like a werewolf walking on two legs.

[You wanted to escape from reality too, right? Hmm?]

“……!”

Himari’s heart raced for a moment.

[You wanted to break free from the things tormenting you. Hehe, due to the burden of not being able to choose in a situation that was neither here nor there, you were about to go crazy. Right?]

“Ah, no….”

[No, what do you mean no––!]

“……!”

Himari bit her lower lip at the wolf monster’s words.

“You are like me!! Because you are like me, you ’empathized’ with me! I can understand! The darkness within you! For some reason, the cause of the stress built up inside you is the same as mine!!”

“That, that is….”

“I have to go to work! My younger siblings are looking up to me! They did better in college than I did! They keep relying on me!! Don’t you know I don’t want to depend on anyone?!]

“……!!”

“I also wanted to be held by someone and rest deeply!! Don’t impose responsibility only on me! I am human too––!”

“…No.”

Himari steadied her resolve.

“You are a monster now.”

“I, a monster?”

“Yes. Look over there, at the mirror.”

“……Huh?”

The wolf monster looked at its reflection in the glass.

“Oh, I see. Hehehe, so that’s how it is?”

“Yes, so stay calm and––”

“Then, I don’t have to hold back anymore?”

“….You.”

“Do you understand me? Right? Then….”

The wolf monster spread its legs wide and bowed its upper body.

“You will embrace me. Right? Hehe, hahaha….”

“No way…!”

“Even though I’ve already become a monster, what does the law matter. Haha….”

Thud.

Something heavy like a lump fell down.

“Let’s live together. You understand me, right?”

“Ah, ahhhh––––!!”

* * *

“…….”

On top of the building.

“I left my doppelganger outside, but I wonder if it’s okay.”

I looked down at the wolf monster trying to attack Himari, clenching and releasing my fist lightly, gathering strength.

“Miss Himari. I won’t help you.”

I was forcibly brought into Another World, but that’s Himari’s responsibility.

“You are an adult.”

The rules of Acheongsuho protect only minors.

“And….”

The complete awakening of the wolf monster.

It wasn’t just because the wolf monster was such a being.

“That’s the demon within you, you have to overcome it yourself.”

The darkness within Himari overlaid.

“It’s fear of society.”

Once you become an adult, if you don’t leave the nest, you die.

Spread your own wings, overcome fear, and fly into the sky.

No one else will fly the sky called society for you.

Overcome it, become an adult.

Fail, and fall.

“…….”

Until the results come out, I decided to watch quietly.

‘Endure, my impatience.’

If you’re not going to take responsibility for Himari’s life, she has to solve the problem herself now.

Yes.

This is the college entrance exam.

Before the magical girl goes out into society, the final test.

What attacks Himari is the weight of reality disguised as the shadow of the wolf monster.