episode_0009

What exactly is Fraype’s public image?

The sunny side, so to speak.

As depicted in news outlets, she’s a promising rookie.

With her tendency for brute force and flashy moves, she’s often introduced as a fiery, aggressive magical girl.

But what about the darker side?

On internet forums and the like, what do people say about Fraype?

Well, for starters, she’s easily the most famous among second-rank magical girls.

Honestly, it’s no surprise—she’s just too unusual not to stand out.

A quick glance at a few posts says it all:

“-Fraype’s a psycho lol. She walks around covered in blood, it’s fucking terrifying lolol.”

“-Is she even a magical girl? All she does is beat the shit out of things with her fists.”

“-She’s a magic warrior, duh ;;.”

The “Magic Warrior.”

Though “Magical Girl” is her official title, she leans so hard into raw, brutal combat that the nickname stuck.

But none of that was what really set the darker corners of the internet aflame.

“-Damn, Fraype straight-up NEVER does fan service.”

“-Isn’t she only nice to female fans? She scowls the second a guy gets close.”

“-Not trying to hate, but does she have legit androphobia or just hate men? Remember that one dude who almost got decked for getting too close?”

The “Fraype Men-Hating Scandal.”

It wasn’t framed as some gender war—many outright speculated she just straight-up despised men.

Given how deeply magical girls are tied to idol-like entertainment industries, controversies like this are a major risk.

Though it started in the shadows, the backlash was so intense it spilled into the mainstream.

Oh, and let’s not forget those trashy tabloids claiming Fraype was a lesbian, or that she actually despised men.

Eventually, she was interviewed about it—

“Yeah. I do hate men. But I’m not a lesbian, got it?”

And just like that, she confirmed it. Honestly, that was pretty shocking back then.

I mean, a magical girl openly despising an entire gender? Really?

Of course, that just spawned more debates, but they fizzled out fast.

Why? Because among rookies, her achievements were undeniable. And oddly, fans loved that about her.

Some even claimed they adored the way she glared at them with pure scorn or disgust.

Call it “gap moe” or whatever.

Either way, the buzz only made her more popular.

But now—

As I watched this bookish girl quietly reading in front of me, one thought echoed in my head:

“This is the real Fraype?”

Even if I snapped a photo and posted it online right now, nobody would believe me.

They’d probably just flame me for harassing some random civilian.

The dissonance between her as a magical girl and her civilian self was impossible to reconcile.

“Um…?”

“Ah, yes?”

“You said to bring it when I finished… Here.”

No matter how I looked at her, she just seemed like an ordinary bookworm.

And this was the same Fraype who supposedly hated men?

My first suspicion was about her alleged androphobia.

Having worked with actual diagnosed patients before, I was confident in recognizing the symptoms.

But how did Fraype react when we met?

Despite being approached by a man—someone she supposedly despised—she was just flustered. And we communicated just fine.

Most telling of all—that look in her eyes.

It wasn’t disgust.

She just stared straight at me, like I was nothing more than her therapist.

“Does she even have real androphobia?”

Too many things didn’t add up.

Frankly, it made me curious.

If she didn’t hate men, why would she lie about it?

For a magical girl, openly discriminating against certain fans is nothing but a liability.

Lost in thought, I barely noticed when—

“Um…”

“Yes?”

Fraype suddenly spoke up.

“She knows I’m her therapist—why is she engaging first?”

“Do… do you read this author often?”

I glanced at the book’s cover.

[Hanakoko Keiko – The Thief’s Gate]

This author…

I recognized the name. I enjoyed reading myself, so I knew her work.

Nodding, I replied.

“Oh… wow, you’re the first person I’ve met who likes her.”

“Isn’t she fairly well-known though? Her style is so distinct, it’s hard to not keep reading.”

“It’s probably because physical book sales have… declined. Most people spend their free time on MuTube Shorts or TikTook these days.”

“Yeah, everyone around me has switched to web novels or online stuff.”

“Exactly! Physical books have this feeling you just can’t replace!”

Hey… you know I’m your therapist, right?

Why are you being so familiar?

Her audacity was so unexpected I could practically feel my brain short-circuiting.

I stayed silent, curious where she’d go next.

“Then, have you read this one? Honestly, I think it’s Keiko-sensei’s masterpiece. Or—wait, have you tried this? It’s by her actual son, and the vibe is kinda similar—”

She’s beaming.

Where’s the androphobia? Now she’s just gushing about books like some hyperactive lit nerd.

Her enthusiasm was almost… endearing.

Like this, she just looked like any other girl.

But when she transforms, she turns that violent?

“And, uh—oh! Um… S-sorry.”

Finally, she seemed to realize she’d gotten carried away.

Flushing red, she ducked her head, embarrassed.

Thank God she doesn’t know I recognize her as Fraype.

If she did, she’d either panic or bash my skull in.

And one more thing—

“She definitely doesn’t hate men.”

No way someone secretly androphobic could chat this naturally.

Something else must be going on—some reason she avoids male fans.

Did something happen in her past?

As the questions piled up in my mind…

—THUD!

“Wha—?!”

“What the—?!”

A massive shockwave rattled the library’s floors.

This… wasn’t just an earthquake.

I rushed to the window to check outside.

“Holy hell—”

A gargantuan monster—no, a Maju—had appeared.

With every step it took, the ground shook violently.

Given its size, it had to be at least Grade 2.

“What’s happening out—? Oh. Uh.”

Fraype stiffened the second she saw it, eyes wide with panic.

She immediately turned to leave—

—Grab.

Instinctively, I caught her arm.

A Grade 2 Maju was way too dangerous for Fraype to handle alone.

“Going outside now would be suicide.”

“R-right… Yeah.”

Realizing she couldn’t reveal herself as Fraype, she deflated, pretending to be just another civilian watching helplessly.

A Maju this big would’ve already triggered a magical girl deployment.

Obviously.

—BOOM!!!

“She’s here.”

“Ah—Ai!!”

This was Magical Girl Ai’s turf, after all.

A radiant light burst forth—

An angel descended.

Ai’s grand entrance drew cheers from both me and Fraype.

The magical girl of victory, arriving in an instant.

Pride swelled in my chest seeing my patient in action.

Meanwhile, Fraype beside me never took her eyes off Ai.

Like she didn’t want to miss a single second.

Anyone could see what emotion glittered in her gaze.

“Ahhh… As expected of Ai-sama.”

Adoration.

“They say reverence is the emotion furthest from understanding… or was she just being a total weeb?”

Watching from the sidelines, I silently rooted for Ai.

Go on. Defeat this Maju with your usual flair. Be the shining star who protects everyone.

The battle was one-sided.

True to her title as the strongest active magical girl, Ai dominated the Maju effortlessly.

Then, gathering power for the final strike—

A blinding white light surged.

—CRASH!

…Huh?

“What the—?”

But before Ai could land the blow, the Maju suddenly slammed its fists into the ground.

The earth trembled—my vision pitched downward.

Downward.

Into a bottomless abyss.

“No… This—!”

It wasn’t me losing balance.

The entire library—no, the ground itself—was collapsing.

In that moment, only one thing could be done.

“Ah—?!”

“Get down!”

I yanked Fraype—still untransformed and vulnerable—onto the floor, shielding her.

—KRRRUMBLE!!!

Then came the impact.

Drip. Drip-drop.

“Ugh… Damn it, it’s nothing but dust and debris down here.”

When I came to, the darkness was almost absolute.

The rubble around us was all that remained of the library.

Wherever we were—some kind of bottomless underground cavern—it was freezing and damp.

“It’s a miracle.”

The whole building collapsed into the earth, yet I walked away unscathed.

If this wasn’t divine intervention, then—

There was only one answer.

Fraype.

She must’ve shielded me in that split second before impact.

But there was no sign of her anywhere.

Did she get out alone?

—Click.

I flicked on my phone’s flashlight and surveyed the area.

Thankfully, the ceiling—what was left of it—seemed stable for now.

“Phone’s dead too? No signal at all.”

Nothing.

No way to call for help—guess I’ll have to move.

—!!!

“…Light?”

In the suffocating darkness, I spotted a faint glow in the distance.

Too ethereal to be a phone’s LED.

And the moment I saw it—my strength began draining away.

I had to follow that light.

It was the only thought looping in my head.

“Follow… the light.”

Like a moth drawn to a midnight lantern, I stumbled toward the glow.

“Ah…”

When I reached it, my mind went blank.

A black swan.

Yes—that suited her.

Jet-black wings wreathed in darkness.

She was so terrifyingly beautiful that fear couldn’t even take root.

A magical girl.

If Ai was a swan clad in purest white—

This woman was her shadow.

A black swan with razor-edged feathers.

“Oh my, a human? How did you end up here…? Hmm—your face is my type, though.”

“……”

“Cat got your tongue? That’s alright. Come closer. You’ll feel at ease soon enough.”

And then I understood.

The woman before me was a magical girl—but she wasn’t.

A Fallen magical girl.

One who’d lost her purity, her purpose, her reason—succumbed to corruption.

This woman was a Fallen.