Ch.168168. Before Epilogue – First Deployment

“Eli. I’m now a proper…!”

“Mmhmm. You’re warm, our Vine… It reminds me of the old days.”

“…How long ago was that anyway!”

“Hmm? Hmm… Is it?”

“Eli. Five years is a really long time, you know?”

“I still remember it though? The way you used to cling to me calling ‘Big sis~’ is still so vivid in my mind.”

“Eli. That was then! Now is completely different. Do you know how smart I’ve become! I finished all those difficult studies!”

“Yes, yes… So did you finish today’s homework? If not, you can’t go out tomorrow?”

“W-what…?”

“You didn’t do it, did you?”

“N-no! I, I did!”

“Really? Can I check?”

“Y-yes! Of c-course…!”

“Hmm… Today’s homework was math… language arts…”

“H-how do you remember all that?! D-don’t remember it!”

“Hmm… Because I’m smarter than Vine…?”

“W-what…? Eli is smarter than me…?”

“Why. You didn’t do it, right? If I tell the Boss about this…”

“D-don’t tell…! I, I did it all, okay…!”

I really did finish it all, Eli shouldn’t be like this…!

Eli, I trusted you…!

“Ah, fine… I’ll let it slide just for today. Tomorrow’s the real thing, right? What are you going to do?”

Thankfully, Eli’s letting it go…!

And she wants to hear my plan!

Yes, I’ll tell her everything I’ve been thinking about!

She’ll definitely be surprised when she hears it!

My plan is surely perfect!

“Listen carefully, okay? First, I’m going to prepare a huuuge monster!”

“You prepared it?”

“Yes! Of course! It’s already on standby. I’ve even finalized the contract, so there’s no worry about retrieving it!”

“But… you know about this, right? Magical girls?”

“Magical girls? Of course! I chose and chose again a place where there are no magical girls! And I picked a time when there are just enough people around to gather emotions perfectly!”

“Hmm… Really? Where is it located?”

“You know the school near here? It’s there, there! Hehe… Eden’s Vine, first deployment!”

“Are you that happy?”

“Of course! Heh… Until now, I’ve only received warmth from the Boss, and I’ve been so sad that I couldn’t be of help to him… Now I too, like Eli…”

“You’re happy because you can be of help now?”

“Yes!”

“Yes, yes… You’re a good girl. Want me to pat your head?”

“…Ugh.”

“Head pats… perhaps they no longer suit Vine who’s all grown up?”

“T-that’s…!”

“Come here.”

“…Hehe.”

Eli’s pats always feel so good…

Hehe…

I love this warmth so much.

Even if it’s not the enormous warmth of the Boss who’s like the sun, I love Eli’s warmth that’s always by my side.

I love the joy her hand gives when she pats me.

I love Eli’s gentleness as her soft hand carefully combs through my hair, trying not to mess it up.

I love feeling her affection for me hidden in that gentleness.

I love this time when she sees me purely, without any dark intentions.

Just…

I love it all.

I love how I can feel nothing but warmth when being patted like this.

The Boss’s addictive warmth that leaves me wanting more is good too.

But Eli’s warmth.

This warmth that I can feel every day, I love it so so so so much…

“I always think this, but Vine’s hair is really nice.”

Saying that, she gently… gently…

Following my hair.

I like this…

“Heeeh…”

“Pfft… Vine, you’re really cute.”

“Don’t call me cuuute… I’m… I’m not cute… I’m cool…”

“Yes, yes… You’re cute.”

“Tch… Pffft… Eliii…”

“Yes, yes. Good girl, good girl.”

“Mmm… I’m good and cool… I’m cool… not cute…”

“Yes, yes… Really, it amazes me every time. How does this hair just stay like this? It’s not even maintained with magic. This hair… it was amazing when I first saw it too.”

Eli grabbed a handful of my hair and brought it to her face…

“Sniiiff-“

“E-Eliii…!? W-what are you doing…!”

“Phwah. It smells nice.”

Th-this Eliii…!

W-what are you doing right now…!

Thump, thump!

I’m going to hit Eli over and over and over and over!

You’re not being a good Eli! This, this is a weird Eli!

Ugh…!

“Ow, ow… Pfft…”

“Pervert! Aren’t you a pervert! W-why are you smelling this! E-Eli, you’re really weird!”

“But it smells good, doesn’t it, Vine?”

“W-what are you saying! What are you saying?!”

“It’s true…?”

Eli, who was behind me, buried her nose right on the top of my head…?!

“Sniiiff… Pueek?!”

“Weird weird weird weird weird weird you’re weird!!! What are you doing!! Eli!”

“Oww… How could you hit me in the stomach, Vine.”

“Don’t pretend to be hurt! You’re not even in pain!”

“…You caught me?”

“Eli!”

“Pfft… You’re cute. Vine, can I watch from behind when you go on your first deployment?”

“Why would you want to watch that! Are you thinking something weird again?!”

“Well… because I want to engrave your cool appearance in my eyes…?”

Wait…

Eli…

Wants to see me looking cool?

Eli, who calls me cute dozens, hundreds of times a day…?

Eli, who ignores my requests to call me cool and just keeps calling me cute…?

That Eli…

Eli, who would die before ever calling me cool…!

Even when I show her my cool moves in the training ground! Even when I show her how coolly I kick off walls and fly around!

Even when she sees me knocking down training dummies left and right!

Even when she sees me slicing through bamboo in one swift cut with my sword, she only says I’m cute!

Eli…!

My cool appearance…!

She wants to engrave my cool appearance in her eyes…!

Not my cute appearance!

“Yes! Sure! Let’s go together! I’ll tell the Boss! So you can definitely see it, Eli! But but but, listen, listen! Since I’ll show you my cool side, you have to call me cool lots and lots and lots…?”

“Yes. Don’t worry. If our Vine does something that cool… why wouldn’t I call you cool?”

“Yes! Look forward to it! Heh… I’ll finally get Eli to call me cool instead of cute, I’ll get that acknowledgment!”

“Yes, yes. What kind of monster is it?”

“An early sleeping mons— No! We agreed to stop that a year ago!”

“Right, you should go to bed early. If you sleep early, you won’t be late for your deployment tomorrow, right?”

“Yes. Sleep well, Eli…”

* * *

“Kyaaak?!”

“It’s a monster! There should have been a warning… Kids, quickly to the shelter!”

“Teacher!!”

“The monster is coming this way, uh…? The library building…? Quickly, tell the librarian!”

“The librarian isn’t here right now! There’s no one in the library building! Hurry!”

“Are you sure no one’s there! You never know, a student might have gone to read a book!”

“It’s closed today so no one’s there! Teacher Kang! Don’t go! It’s dangerous! It’s better to wait for a magical girl to arrive…!”

“112, 119… Call quickly! And, Teacher Kim, please count the students!”

“Count… It’s after school hours now…!”

“The kids first! The after-school program kids or those on the playground! Ah…? Wait, isn’t there after-school volunteer work today!?”

“…After-school volunteer… Huh? Huh??!? Wait, wait! No! No!!”

“Teacher Kim! Why are you suddenly going there! You just said not to go!”

“Yunsul, Yunsul is on the library committee! She said she was volunteering at the library today, the librarian left her in charge…! Why couldn’t I remember!”

“The monster is too close now! It’s really dangerous! I’ll go!”

“No! She’s my student! Teacher Kang! I’ll g—?! Kyaaaak?!?!!!!!!!!!!”

CRASH!!!!!!!!!

BOOM!!!

THUD, THUD!!

“Monster, the monster is on the playground!”

“Teacher Kim! Let’s go to the basement! For now, those who can survive must survive!”

“No, Yunsul… Yunsul…!”

“I just called the police! They said the closest magical girl is on her way!”

“Where did they say she was?”

“…Gangseo District.”

“That’s far! And Yunsul, Yunsul…!”

“That’s all we have for now. Quickly, we don’t have time… Look out!!!!”

. . .

Pfft hehe.

It’s gathering smoothly.

The numbers on the terminal are rising rapidly.

Fear, confusion, anger…

Negative emotions galore♪

Misfortune energy is gathering nicely~

Sorry, but this is all humans can do for us?

This is punishment, punishment for humans who treated me that way!

Get angrier and more scared for our Boss and Eden’s dream!

“Eli! It’s going smoothly!”

“Really? How much have you gathered?”

“About… 30%? That’s what it says…”

“That is smooth. Phew. Good for your first time.”

“Wait, Eli. Did you just doubt me?”

“Doubt? But, what about the magical girl?”

“She’s faaaar away. It’ll take her a while to get here? Plus, I secretly threw a monster seed over there too. 4, 3, 2, 1! Now!”

“Hmm…? What’s now?”

“Hehe. I set it up on her path here, so the monster would be visible right away! Even if it’s a weak monster, a magical girl would naturally notice it, right? That will increase the time it takes her to get here!”

“Wow… You’re smart, our Vine?”

“Only Eli is enough to underestimate me!”

“Is that so? Well… How’s the monster doing, where is it?”

“Over there in the library! There shouldn’t be anyone there…?”

“You thought about that when planning?”

“Of course! It’s sad if people die, isn’t it…? Even if they’re humans who did bad things to me, their deaths won’t help Eden! They’re all going to be our Boss’s subjects, so it’s not good if even one is missing. We need to offer them all to the Boss!”

“What’s the honest reason?”

“…It’s also better for gathering energy! If people disappear, it becomes harder to gather energy. That’s what I thought…”

“Pfft… Really? How much have you gathered now? Where’s the magical girl?”

“The magical girl’s location… Do I press this thing that says ‘magic field’…?”

“Yes. Press it.”

“Oh…! The red dot stopped over there! See! I was right?”

“You were. Wait… Let me see. Hmm… This should be enough to gather what we need and retreat. Well done, Vine.”

“Tch… It’s a bit disappointing that there’s no battle though!”

“Better than getting hurt.”

“I guess? Then I’ll show you my cool side next time!”

Honestly… These flowing clothes are hard to move in.

Should have gone with something more comfortable. Tch.

As I was thinking that, a bright white light flashed before my eyes.