Chapter 15 : The Girls’ Debutante

[I am a nameless magical girl.]

A corridor where smartphone sounds reverberate.

There was a petite girl there.

Sharp eyes.

She was walking towards the studio, the broadcasting station’s observation deck where filming was taking place, wearing a form-fitting men’s suit.

“…”

One of the two swords owned by the Fujimoto family.

A rank Ding kunoichi from the Mumei, who eliminates internal traitors or sworn enemies of the Fujimoto family.

Kaede was chasing the magical girl in the photo according to Elder Fujimoto’s first order.

For some reason, the face in the captured photo was blurred, so she couldn’t track by appearance. But she could guess where she would appear next based on her actions.

‘Instead of invading Fujimoto’s territory with her power, she only acted to rescue the test subjects and disappeared,’

A person immersed in humanitarian ideology.

A person with a sense of solidarity towards magical girls.

If she has such thoughts, she would appear where magical girls gather.

And she actually appeared.

“Hey, you shouldn’t look at your phone while walking.”

Stop

In front of Kaede’s eyes, she turned her gaze from her smartphone.

A girl in a sailor uniform with an impressive green ribbon was blocking the corridor.

That girl said with a confident smile.

“Are you from Fujimoto? You don’t smell of blood, so you must be a rookie.”

“…”

Kaede knew her face.

Yamanaka Ichika.

A girl who was in the Fujimoto research facility.

“I thought Fujimoto’s lackey might come towards the leader, so I switched with the broadcasting room… I guess I was right?”

“…”

Rattle

In Kaede’s hand was a chain sickle that had been hidden behind her back.

The moonlight reflected on the sharp blade had a chilling color.

Killing intent.

But Ichika’s smile reflected on the polished blade was unwavering.

Ichika extended her right fist towards Kaede.

She firmly planted her two legs on the ground and lowered her body until her thighs were taut.

The stability of a mountain standing against sharp winds.

Now, if she raises her left fist and fixes it in front of her chest, her posture will be complete to respond to attacks from all directions.

Kisuishiki Rikugouken (Six Harmonies Fist)

“I absolutely won’t let you pass here. Fujimoto’s hunting dog.”

“…”

Rattle!

The fight began with the chain sickle flying towards her.

Bloomed born 2-star [Freedom] magical girl Ichika 

Unbloomed born 2-star magical girl Kaede.

Battle begins!

* * *

The staff members who suddenly all stopped moving at once.

The inside of the studio was eerily quiet.

“Ma-Magical girl?”

“Yes, I too am a magical girl.”

I gestured elegantly towards the camera and said.

“I have something I’d like to tell the people of this nation, taking this opportunity today.”

Flutter-

I took out the documents I had retrieved from the Fujimoto research facility from my chest.

Content showing the intention to ruthlessly squeeze out the test subject magical girls.

I took them out and levitated them with psychic power.

The documents passed through the prism curtain and expanded to cover the entire wall behind the studio.

“Supernatural ability… weaponization… plan…?”

“We-Weapons?! Soldiers?!”

“Is this real…?”

The voices of the magical girls who had come out as today’s guests could be heard exclaiming as they read the pages.

And I responded accordingly.

“That’s exactly right.”

Click

“Mr. Fujimoto, who acts like the owner of this country, has a plan to kidnap magical girls without guardians and seize the power of magical girls through harsh training and experiments.”

“Fu… Fuji…?!”

“Shh!!”

“You shouldn’t say that name carelessly in front of others! It’ll be a big deal…!”

The illusion curtain spread out behind the studio next.

There, scenes of the quarters where Ichika’s group had been confined, the merciless training process, and armed guards chasing them fiercely with guns were played in succession.

The faces of the girls in the illusion were obscured by noise so their expressions couldn’t be seen, but the pain they had experienced could be felt even outside the screen.

“Is this.”

“Are all these things.”

“Really what should have been done to girls who were living ordinary lives until just recently?”

The girls were silent.

Thud!

I struck down my staff and removed the illusion from behind the studio.

“To those who are seriously mistaken about something, I’d like to inform you that magical girls are not beings to be used by someone or used as tools… that they too are just ordinary girls and beings who can shine on their own.”

“And I.”

“Have come out today to prove that.”

Snap!

With a cheerful finger snap, the appearance of the studio set up inside the spherical observation deck began to change.

[Deception] Magical Girl’s Unique Skill

Dream World

Sunlight.

Warm sunlight.

Clear skies stretching far away and rose gardens.

Thousands, tens of thousands of roses blooming on fresh green branches were embracing the girls.

A huge rose garden.

“On a joyous day like today, beautiful roses would be more fitting than documents filled with adults’ unpleasant greed, wouldn’t they?”

I plucked a rose and handed it to a girl who was looking around with an enraptured expression.

“Shizuku-san.”

“Y-Yes?!”

The girl’s face turned as red as the rose, seemingly flustered.

“Your dream… what is true happiness to you?”

“Dream… my dream?”

The girl who had stopped without accepting the rose hesitated for a moment.

“Um… co-coming on broadcasts… becoming famous… um…”

“Not those things decided by adults.”

I encouraged her in a gentle voice.

“That ‘dream’ that you truly want, from the depths of your heart…”

“Dream…”

Shizuku, who had been muttering for a moment, gave an answer mixed with a choking sound.

The bursting truth.

“I-I want to be a baker who makes others happy like Mama…!”

Such a beautiful and precious dream.

Like a rose that hurts when touched, Shizuku’s dream, spoken aloud, was painful and lovely.

“Not an entertainer…! I-I want to become… a baker! Sob…”

I gave the rose to Shizuku.

When Shizuku accepted the rose with her tear-stained face.

The rose changed into something with a warm light.

A croissant.

A savory smell.

Mother’s memory.

Daily life.

The girl who revealed her true feelings with sincere tears bloomed like a blossoming rose.

A true magical girl.

Blooming.

“Eh?! Th-This is?!”

I turned my gaze from Shizuku, who was surprised by her changed outfit, and asked the girls behind her as well.

“Everyone, join in too! What are your dreams?”

“Eh?! I want a restaurant…!”

“I want Grandpa’s used bookstore…!”

“I want to be a newspaper reporter like Dad…!”

“I want a bicycle shop…!”

Perhaps enchanted by the magical scenery.

The girls revealed their ‘dreams’ one after another, as if they had been frustrated with the events of the past month.

Their stiff expressions loosened, and before they knew it, even their cheeks were tinged like roses with excitement.

The sight of the girls chattering about their dreams was more beautiful than thousands, tens of thousands of roses.

[Baking] Magical Girl.

[Gourmet] Magical Girl.

[Booklover] Magical Girl.

[Reporting] Magical Girl.

[Silver Wheel] Magical Girl.

The blooming of born 1-star magical girls.

It was a concrete manifestation of the metaphysical concept called ‘dreams’, and a resonance of the brilliant lights in everyone’s hearts that had been forgotten.

Dream.

Through the appearance of dreams, the admiration and interest of girls who might be somewhere beyond the camera.

I could feel the powerful gravitational pull of fate possessed by 2-star magical girls concentrating on me.

‘Not all, but a considerable number. Now it’s time to move on to the final stage.’

I signaled to Haruko, who had been helping by turning the camera this way and that with the paper sheep and pig, and Haruko fixed the camera, hugged the paper sheep, and disappeared somewhere.

“On a beautiful débutante of girls like today, a fitting grand finale would be needed, wouldn’t it?”

Snap!

Rose petals from the rose fields filling the surroundings all took flight at once.

A rain of rose scent and petals embroidered over the blue sky.

They were fireworks celebrating the second birth of magical girls, and a ballroom for girls who had changed from outfits engraved with adults’ desires into magical girl dresses embodying their own dreams.

“Wow…”

“So pretty…”

“…Like a dream.”

With the girls gazing at the endlessly falling rose petals behind me.

I walked towards the back of the observation deck.

Thump thump thump thump

On the opposite side of the studio.

There was a presence urgently approaching from beyond the door far away.

Slam!

“Don’t move! This is Yamashita from the Metropolitan Police Department!!”

Dozens of armed police officers.

I smiled as I looked at the police officers rushing in.

‘I hope Kyoko and Ichika who were blocking the door escaped safely?’

The police officers approaching me with guns pointed seemed bewildered by the surrounding scenery.

“Wh-What is this?!”

“Why is there a flower garden here?!”

“Well then, since the uninvited guests have arrived, let’s bring down the curtain on today’s stage.”

I spoke while looking at the camera.

Towards Fujimoto who would be watching me through the camera.

“If you’re going to sacrifice girls out of greed.”

“I’ll awaken the stars hidden in darkness with dreams.”

“The power of dreams held by the stars is something you cannot possess…”

I said while looking at today’s stage.

“Timid Mr. Fujimoto, please don’t take out your anger on the staff for today’s events!”

“To all magical girls, your second birth today… your debut as magical girls!”

“I, the magical girl of [Beginning], bless you!”

It’s a lie.

My epithet is the magical girl of [Deception].

But if I can deceive the fate of this world, I’ll even deceive my own epithet.

I then escaped through the wall of the observation deck using Blink.

The police officers remained stuck to the window wall, watching dumbfounded as I slowly fell.

“Leader!!”

“Shirogane-san!!”

“Uwaaah?!”

“I’m back.”

I safely landed on Haruko’s paper sheep, which was flying while greatly inflated.

Ichika, Haruko, and Kyoko were safely aboard the paper sheep.

“Heheh, Fujimoto’s lackey came and I smashed them!”

“You’re amazing! Boss!!”

“Wh-Where should we go now?!”

Below the Odaiba broadcasting station, numerous spectators could be seen looking up at us curiously.

“We shouldn’t neglect the audience who came to see us, right?”

“What?”

I expanded the dream world of the spherical observation deck so that rose petals would reach the people below. People were smiling as they looked at the petals above their heads in wonder.

“…Let’s cross the bridge and go back like this.”

“Yes!”

Girls riding a giant paper sheep crossing over the bridge.

Girls who bloomed in a rain of roses, not war.

Now the original work has been twisted.

What’s left for me is…

“Leader.”

“Hm?”

“That was fun.”

Ichika said with a grin.

“I’m counting on you from now on too.”

“That’s right, I say!”

“H-Heheh…”

“Hehee… hehehe…!”

“Pffft…”

“Ahahahaha!!”

What are these kids laughing about?

And why am I laughing too?

I don’t know why, but…

Now I don’t feel scared anymore.