episode_0013

What would a rabbit feel facing a predator?

Would its legs tremble with fear? Or would it desperately resist for survival?

But I felt none of that.

I was calmer than ever, and my mind was serene.

Could I really maintain such composure with a fallen magical girl right before my eyes?

I’m not sure.

But I was certain.

That I had to somehow guide this situation favorably and save Frayf.

“Hmm, I didn’t expect to see you again here, but anyway, nice to meet you?”

The fallen magical girl slightly waved her pale hand.

The sight was so natural.

Except for her previous actions, which were destructive acts, of course.

“Have you gone mute in just one day? Why won’t you talk~.”

“No, I’m perfectly fine.”

“Then what brings you to this dangerous place? You didn’t come here to die or anything, did you?”

I shook my head.

If I were going to die, I would have died a long time ago.

I pointed to the collapsed Frayf with my finger.

“I came to save her.”

“You? This magical girl? Why?”

She asked back several times as if she couldn’t understand at all.

I’m not sure myself.

I save her simply because I want to save her.

Because only that thought came to mind.

“She’s someone close to me.”

“Hmm… Girlfriend? In love?”

“No. It’s not like that.”

She tilted her head as if she couldn’t understand.

Generally, people… no, all animals will stop at nothing to survive.

Enter a battlefield where you might die just to save one person?

It must be an act almost impossible for anyone short of a superhuman.

But I wanted to save Frayf.

Is it just because she’s the magical girl I’m in charge of?

No.

Perhaps it’s because I saw past that to the pain and true nature of that girl?

My body moved first because I wished for her to be even a little bit happy.

“First, let me introduce myself.”

I handed her a paper card that I always kept in my pocket.

“Name… Lee Yeonwoo. Magical girl counselor? You mentioned being the counselor in charge last time… So this is what you meant by counselor.”

“Yes, I am a counselor specializing in magical girls.”

“The world changes so quickly. Back in my day… Ha, I feel like I was just worked relentlessly without anything like this.”

I had heard a few things about the magical girls of the past.

Unlike now, early magical girls were said to have been overworked to death.

Only now, do they gain popularity by also working in the entertainment industry and living like idols.

Back then, the perception of magical girls was strongly that they were simply powerful girls or monster cleanup crews.

Since monsters and creatures ultimately couldn’t be defeated by human power, they were said to have worked under the military.

But how well could the military really do its job, however well it did?

Mental care? There’s no way such a thing existed.

Early magical girls were used like tools, and their minimal mental health wasn’t managed, so mental cracks occurred frequently, they said.

Only now, with discussions of human rights abuse and magical girls gaining popularity, has it become normalized.

It seems natural that a counselor like me would seem strange to magical girls of the past.

“Since I gave you my business card, I guess I should tell you my name too… Hmm. I threw away my old name… Right. Esther. Call me Esther.”

“Understood, Ms. Esther.”

Esther.

As expected, it’s a magical girl name I’ve never heard of.

Well, I suppose it’s natural if she threw away her old name.

“Alright then, Counselor? You said you wanted to save this child.”

“That’s right.”

“Then what will you give me? You know life is a give and take, right?”

Frayf, held in Esther’s hand, seemed to be in pain.

What should I give to save her?

No, is there something she wants?

It must be a headache-inducing situation.

To have to negotiate when I don’t even know what she wants.

“Is there something you want, like an item?”

“No?”

“Then…”

“Instead, I have a few things I’m curious about. If you answer them well… Well, I’ll let this child go.”

At the words that she would let Frayf go, I was overjoyed.

I don’t know what she’ll ask, but it means all I have to do is answer well.

I had many questions and didn’t understand why this situation had occurred, but I waited.

What could a fallen magical girl who wrecked a city be so curious about?

“First. Who is the strongest magical girl right now? If it’s vague, you can name several.”

Who is the strongest among the current generation of magical girls?

This question was easier to answer than ever.

How strong she is, they even gave her the title ‘Magical Girl of Victory’ because she is said to never be defeated.

“Magical Girl Ai… should be the strongest magical girl of the current generation.”

“Ai… As expected, I don’t know just from the name.”

“If you were to meet her, you would probably know…”

“Well, I understand this question for now. Shall we move on to the next question?”

So far, there haven’t been any difficult questions to answer.

However, there was one thing I was worried about.

‘Those eyes… They’re not ordinary.’

Her sharp gaze scanned me, and the corners of her mouth turned up.

It felt as if my whole body was being pierced.

What kind of question is she planning to ask?

“This time, I’ve become curious about you.”

“What is it? Should I tell you my three sizes?”

“Heh, what a joke. You said you’re a magical girl counselor, right?”

“…Yes.”

“Right, a magical girl’s counselor… Yes.”

It’s ominous.

The eyes that were piercing me now emitted a faint light and stared at me.

“What exactly do counselors do for magical girls?”

“Well, simply…”

“No, not that kind of thing. The residual mana scent felt on your body. That doesn’t just come from conversation, you know?”

I couldn’t speak anymore.

Residual mana scent.

It doesn’t remain just from conversation?

I knew exactly what Esther was trying to say.

She was asking about the essence of a counselor.

She was trying to expose counselors who exploit the pure emotion of love from magical girls by instigating it.

‘How should I answer this…?’

It felt like my mind instantly froze.

Looking at her eyes, I felt she would instantly see through me if I told a lie.

So should I tell the whole truth right here and now?

I was worried about Frayf, who was within my line of sight.

What if Frayf heard this and became wary of me?

If that happens, the means to help Frayf in the future might disappear.

Then what should I do…

“I’ve seen cases similar to yours a few times before. For that residual scent to remain… Hmm, yes. Like this… Interlocking fingers.”

Goosebumps began to rise at the feel of the cold hand touching my fingertip.

And her pure white finger poked my chest.

“Or holding a magical girl in this embrace. Or.”

That finger slowly moved up and pressed on my lips.

“You coveted the girl with these lips… Right?”

“…That is.”

“Why is it hard to answer? The residual scent emanating from your body is stronger than yesterday. Am I wrong? Or… Do you just not want to say?”

-Ting!

Dark streaks of light around her slowly turned into sharp thorns and began to point at me.

If she gave the order, my entire body would likely be pierced by those thorns.

Since everything she said was true, I ended up having to speak.

Now that the essence had been seen through, first, to rescue Frayf, I had to answer…

-Flash.

Ah, I guess I can just keep my mouth shut.

A pure white beam of light shone down from the sky.

Seeing that light, I inwardly cheered.

“No answer? I guess I have no choice… For some reason, I wanted to keep you alive for a long time because I felt comfortable around you, but then.”

“Don’t flirt with my man.”

-Thud!

The pure white light fell like a comet and struck Esther.

“Oppa, are you okay? Did… did that b*tch… no, that woman, do anything strange to you?”

“Th-The lips weren’t touched, so you don’t need to touch them. Ai.”

“Ah, I’m sorry… But Oppa, why are you here? Are you crazy? Are you desperate to die from accidentally getting hit by magic, Oppa?”

“That… It’s fortunate that I found Oppa in a hurry… If that hadn’t been the case.”

She said she was worried about me, but she was getting angry about why I was here.

Well, if I were in her shoes and saw someone in a dangerous place like this, I’d probably get mad too…

More importantly, isn’t there something still left to do?

“Oppa, let’s run away quickly.”

“Haha, this power… You are the magical girl called Ai, aren’t you?”

“Was I that famous? But I’d rather receive things from Oppa than your kind of attention.”

“Your mouth is dirty… How ugly. Well, never mind. That nickname ‘strongest of the current generation’… It’s even better that I get to feel it once.”

“Are you some kind of crazy yuri type? I’m not interested in women.”

The moment Ai confronted Esther, an intense aura spread.

The sensation of magic felt from the two.

Esther also seemed to be a powerful magical girl in the past, but Ai was not pushed back.

No, she had become even stronger than before.

The jewel embedded in the center of Ai’s dress shone brighter than ever.

What that signifies is…

That her heart is purer than ever.

‘No way.’

I recalled the previous kiss.

Could it be that she grew even more because of that?

The emotion of love is growing larger and being converted into magical girl power.

‘Should I say this is a good thing?’

Thanks to that, not even once did I think Ai would lose this fight.

Before the two fought, I slipped away.

First, I’ll have to take Frayf to the nearest magical girl hospital.

“I’ll carry you from now, so please wrap your arms around my neck. Hold on tight so you don’t fall.”

“…”

Frayf’s build was larger than Ai’s but smaller than mine, so she wasn’t that heavy.

She felt light, rather.

-Clench.

Frayf held onto my shoulder and neck.

‘She’s still conscious. As quickly as possible…’

It was just as I was about to move my feet.

“A warm… home.”

“Yes?”

“I want to go… to a warm home.”

“Home? Let’s go to the hospital first and if you give me your home address, I can.”

-Tightly.

“No, even just once… I want to go to a warm home.”

-Plop.

Raindrops began to fall.

A warm home?

-Plop. Plip plop.

The raindrops seemed to be getting a bit heavier.

No.

They weren’t raindrops.

“J-Just… it doesn’t matter anyway. I just want to rest comfortably, even just once.”

Frayf’s body, clinging to my back, trembled, and hot water droplets began to fall.

‘Is this the limit of her mind…?’

Even if it wasn’t a mental crack, I realized Frayf had already reached her limit.

A warm home.

Wanting to be comfortable, huh.

There’s only one place I know like that.

“Um… If your injuries aren’t too severe, would you like to stay at my place for a while?”