Ch.156156. Chick

“…Was I too harsh?”

“No. You just collapsed from mana depletion. There’s some accumulated damage too, but that didn’t have much impact.”

“Ah… So why am I lying here in a hospital gown?”

“Well… because you are a patient?”

“A mere neck wound hardly qualifies me as a patient… Elly, you’re cold.”

Elly attaches monitoring equipment to me.

“Well, I have orders from my master.”

“Blanc already withdrew that order. What are you talking about?”

“She gave me separate instructions today. Our great and magnificent master deigned to command this lowly, wretched sinner and monster that I am. Oh, she asked me to report how much mana Bine consumed in today’s battle.”

Elly answered with an exaggerated theatrical delivery, like a line from a European historical drama.

Blanc’s hand chop headed straight for Elly’s forehead.

“Ow?! Ah! That hurts!”

“It was meant to hurt, so don’t act tough.”

“Ugh…! This is tyranny! Woo! Down with monster discrimination! Magic girl resign! No to violent rule! Woo! Woo!”

“And when did I ever rule over you… Sigh, fine. When did I ever give you an order to measure Bine… Didn’t I just ask you?”

“Hey, when a superior asks for something, it’s not a request—it’s an order.”

“So you do think of me as your superior?”

“What are you saying, acting all high and mighty as my master.”

Only after receiving another hand chop did Elly’s voice finally quiet down a bit.

…

That looked like it hurt. Is she okay?

“Are you going to keep calling me master and confusing everyone?”

“Well, you are my master.”

“Umm…? So, is my mana okay?”

“Ah, yes. It’s fine. The readings are normal for now… Normal except for the fact that it’s not recovering. The mana depleted in this battle was barely 2%.”

“…I used more than I thought. I was expecting less than 1%.”

“That’s when you’re recovering mana. Right now… you have about 85% remaining.”

“85%?”

“Yeah. Blanc, so what are you going to do?”

Elly’s expression as she checks the chart while holding her head is really…

“What do you mean what am I going to do? Bine’s going out, right?”

“That’s right.”

“Then we go, what else… We don’t have much choice. But the mission details might change a bit. When we get there… finding a way to recover should be the priority.”

“No. Meeting the boss is the priority. Mana recovery… can be postponed.”

“What if that causes problems in battle?”

“…I have a hunch about something, so it’s fine.”

After hearing my words, Blanc made an expression of understanding.

…That’s a relief.

But wait…

Doesn’t she believe my words too easily these days?

“Why do you accept what I say so readily? What if I were lying to you…?”

“Huh?”

“What if… for example, I was deceiving you so I could rejoin the boss… what would you do…?”

“If that were the case, you wouldn’t have just said that. Right?”

“…What?”

“See. If that was your intention, you wouldn’t have mentioned rejoining the boss in the first place. Bringing that up would only hurt you, not help you. But… you told me anyway. Besides… you don’t really want to go back, do you?”

“…What if I said I did?”

“Oh, really?”

Sigh… seriously.

I really can’t say anything properly in front of Blanc.

“See. Your face says you don’t want to go back. Well… I had a bad impression of that boss character even before learning the truth about them. Now that impression is at its worst. No matter how positively you try to think about it, that’s the reality, right?”

“…Sigh. Why are you rubbing salt in my wounds?”

“So that tomorrow when we fight, you’ll be motivated… even if it’s from the pain.”

“What kind of…”

While I was dumbfounded,

Arin started to stir.

She seems about to wake up.

“…Shouldn’t we let her sleep more?”

“We need to wake her up. Blanc… you need to take her now. You’re responsible for… making sure Arin doesn’t get hurt at all.”

“Didn’t you… cause more injuries earlier?”

“That’s… different. She attacked me first, didn’t she?”

“Sure, sure… I promise to make it less painful than the wounds you gave Arin today.”

“Ugh…”

…

Even if Arin attacked first, I did attack her back.

It’s quite the contradiction that I hurt her because I didn’t want to see her get hurt.

But it couldn’t be helped.

Arin’s body moves more violently.

As if she’s fighting something.

I wonder what she’s dreaming about.

She’s mumbling, forming words with her mouth.

But no sound comes from her vocal cords.

Then, Elly beside me says,

“Want me to interpret?”

“You can read lips too…?”

“Well… when you live long enough, you learn all sorts of things. So, do you need it?”

“…What is she saying?”

“Hmm… Sister Bine… like… must save…? Hey, what exactly did you do to Arin…?”

“Huh…?”

“…Wait.”

Elly frowned as she read Arin’s lips.

At first, she looked surprised.

Gradually, her expression turned to shock.

“What is it, what is it…?”

“…What did you do to her…?”

“I didn’t do anything…”

“Arin seems to be… protecting you even in her dreams.”

“…Eh?”

“And then… never mind. Well, thoughts are free. When will she wake… Ah.”

The rustling sounds grew louder, and then with a shriek—

“No! Sister!”

“Arin?!”

Hyewon, who was watching nearby, startled and shook Arin.

Arin, still not fully conscious, looked around.

Trying to grasp the situation.

Yes. It’s cute, like a newborn baby, but…

Seohyun, another guardian sitting nearby, says,

“Arin…? Are you awake?”

“Uh…? Eh…? Uh…”

“Arin. Do you remember what happened just now?”

“…Sister Seohyun…? Where is this…? I was definitely on a mission…”

“Yes. The mission hasn’t even started yet. Do you… not remember anything?”

“…”

Arin closed her eyes briefly, thinking hard.

“Ah, ah…! That’s right… the battle… definitely, definitely…”

As she looked around, she seems to have spotted me sitting on the bed right in front of her.

“S-S-S-Sister?!?!? B-Bine Sister…? Why, why are you in a hospital gown…?”

“Well… asking the magic girls around here would be the quickest way to find out… but they’re not likely to tell you.”

“Ah, ah…! Oh, right… the duel… th-that… I lost, didn’t I…?”

“Hmm… what do you think happened, Arin?”

“…I never thought I’d win. As expected, my stubbornness…”

To the dejected Arin, I slightly lifted my neck to show her.

“S-Sister…? Why are you still wearing the sea—no, the binding device…?”

“That’s not what’s important, Arin. Here.”

Since she still didn’t seem to get it, I peeled off the bandage slightly to show her.

“Uh, uhh…? A wound…? How did you get hurt…?”

“For the person who cut me to act like that… it’s a bit sad…”

“What…?”

“Sob, do you know how much it stings… it really hurts.”

“W-w-wait a minute…? What…? Me…?”

“Yes. That’s right… it’s your victory. You’ve proudly joined the list of magic girls who have defeated me one-on-one. Congratulations.”

Arin stammered, making indescribable sounds in confusion.

“What…!? What?! M-me? H-how, no. Sister?! D-does it hurt?! It shouldn’t hurt, Sister got hurt…”

“Well… you can proudly add one more achievement to your record. Something like ‘Defeated 0.01 Bine, complete.’ That kind of thing… It’s regrettable. I’ll definitely avenge this humiliation later, magic girl…”

“Ah, uh…? Th-thank you…?”

“Thank you, she says. Pfft… Haa. Really. Arin… how. I really didn’t want to take you with us, but…”

“Sister…”

“Please don’t get hurt, stay close to the other magic girls. Don’t touch anything strange. Please don’t rush forward and get attacked. I’m saying this sincerely this time. We’re taking you with us, but… please, please… take care of yourself.”

“W-who are you to talk… Sister, you should take care of yourself too…”

“I’m fine.”

“Sister! Really…”

“Haha… Alright. Arin challenged me to a fight because she wanted my acknowledgment, and I ended up losing. That means… at the very least, Arin is now stronger than Seohyun was when I gave her the nickname ‘Red Hair’…”

“Hey.”

“What’s wrong, Seohyun? Shouldn’t we celebrate Arin’s growth?”

“Even so… Arin is still…”

“Why? Your growth rate was scary too, but can it compare to Arin’s? Arin achieved this in just two weeks.”

“…Hmph.”

“What’s the matter?”

“Sister, Sister!”

“Yes, Arin?”

“Did I… really earn your acknowledgment…?”

“Yes, Arin is… a proper magic girl now. Ah, should I call you by a nickname now?”

“W-what…?”

At my mention of giving her a nickname, Arin was startled and waved her hands in protest.

“I-I want to be called by my name…! N-not a nickname yet…”

“Hmm… Newbie? Baby? Or… what would be good, current crybaby, unemployed?”

The current crybaby answered first.

“Arin? Since she’s cute, how about ‘Chick’?”

“Chick…”

“Ch-Chick?! W-what are you saying!”

“Arin is cute, isn’t she? Chick sounds good too. Does the currently unemployed have any suggestions?”

“Hmm? Umm… I don’t really have anything in mind… but Chick is better than Newbie, don’t you think…?”

“Sister Yuri…! Ch-Chick, really…!”

“Arin… you’ll soon be called by a nickname just like your sisters…! This sister is so proud of you…!”

Pat, pat.

Yuri patted Arin’s back proudly, standing tall and proud.

“I-I don’t want to be called Chick… Sister, please…?”

“Hmm… I like it, Chick. What do you think, Red Hair? Does Chick suit Arin?”

“Since when did you put that much thought into nicknames?”

“Well, I did just make them up as I pleased.”

“See. You gave me a terribly thoughtless nickname.”

“Pfft… But it stuck, didn’t it?”

“It didn’t. What’s with ‘Red Hair’… seriously… I’m not some pirate.”

“Well then… Chick it is. How about it, Chick?”

“Sister!!”

“Pfft… Congratulations, Chick?”

“Sister Yuri!”

“It’s better than Red Hair, I guess.”

“Even Sister Seohyun…!”

“Well… if Chick begs, I might specially revert to calling you Arin?”

“Yes, please, please…! Call me by my name instead…! Please? Please???”

Really.

Sigh…

She’s so cute.

Even the way she flaps her arms like a chirping chick while throwing a tantrum.

Sigh.

If only days like this could continue a little longer.