Chapter 158 : Tomorrow (2)

A quiet snowy field.

As aurora shines between the dark night sky, a woman wearing a black veil sat motionless in a chair, admiring the aurora. On her shoulder, a crow wearing a dark blue scarf was reporting in a gruff yet affectionate tone.

“She was a girl with a very difficult dream.”

“I see.”

“But as we pondered together, an answer came out.”

“I see.”

From the moment three guides were born in this world, for some reason the crow flew towards the far northern sky without looking back. Whenever she wasn’t performing her duties, she came and chattered to the woman in a black dress.

The crow ‘Tana’ didn’t know why she did this.

Just that being beside her felt as comfortable as being with family somehow.

She just acted as her heart led her.

“…Thus, I guided another girl onto the path of enlightenment.”

“Yes. That’s amazing.”

“Alisa.”

“Yes?”

“Praise me more.”

“That’s really really amazing.”

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

Yeon-seo just watched the two of them with a wry smile. So as not to disturb Alisa’s scenery appreciation, she was preparing a meal with her grandfather in front of a tent set up far away.

A small village in the snowy field where people wounded by death and reality live quietly.

They were spending each day diligently as caretakers there.

“Asya, the stew should be ready soon. Go tell Alisa to come.”

“Yes, but what about Tana who can’t eat from a plate because of her beak?”

Yeon-seo’s grandfather silently picked up and shook a long cup, and Yeon-seo couldn’t help laughing as that sight reminded her of some story from an old fairy tale.

The realm of the reaper managing magical girls’ deaths and rest was filled with quiet chattering sounds, delicious stew smells, and the faint scent of memories flowing.

Stories of daily life

Tomorrow’s plans

Past battles

And

Very occasionally

They would bring up stories of a certain silver-haired girl who had entered Alisa’s dreams together in the hospital. When her story came up, the four gathered there would raise their heads and look at the moon beyond the aurora.

A pure white moon floating in the black sky.

The pure white that only reveals itself at the gateway to tomorrow.

They look at the white starlight and look forward to tomorrow again.

“What will happen tomorrow?”

“Whatever happens, it’ll be interesting.”

“Yes, I’m looking forward to it.”

“I feel the same.”

* * *

“Kahahahaha!! I’ve finally obtained it!! A brainwave controller that can dominate all humans!!”

“Kyaaaah!! It’s a Mine!!”

“Run away!!”

“Kahahahaha!! Don’t move from your spots, everyone!!”

Guung!!

The madman whose eyes had completely gone crazy with black energy fluttered his lab coat and pressed a button on a massive device. When he activated the box-shaped device attached to his back, the movements of citizens walking around the square stopped.

“…!”

“…!”

The madman dripped black energy from his mouth and smiled the most disgusting smile a human could make. Each time he took a step forward, black liquid dripped with a foul smell, and people hoped he wouldn’t come near them while they were unable to move.

“Heheheheh, success!! I’ve succeeded!! Now I’ll make all those who mocked and hurt me into slaves. Fuhihihi!! I, I can have a ro-romance with a pretty college girl too!!”

At the mutterings of the madman who was clearly over 40, the college girls in the square got goosebumps all over their bodies.

Please.

Please don’t let that madman come to me.

At that moment when citizens were falling into despair.

A girl’s shout was heard.

“That’s far enough! You villain!”

“Huh?”

It was a horse mask.

A girl wearing a horse mask suddenly appeared in the square where people were frozen.

“…”

Even in his insane state after becoming a Mine, the madman froze at the girl’s strange appearance.

“…A horse mask?”

“In the name of love and admiration, I appear here!! The Magical Girl of [Sculpture] who makes dreams come true!! I, Yamashita Asuka, won’t forgive you, villain!!”

“…A magical girl with a title.”

Though the madman wasn’t scared by the appearance of a girl wearing a Magical Girl Academy junior division uniform, he raised his guard even more at the title she uttered.

Not a colorless magical girl exhibiting unremarkable power, but a true magical girl who could attack with her dream contained.

No matter how young the girl, if she had bloomed a title, she wasn’t an opponent to be taken lightly.

Because the 40-year-old madman dreaming of romance with college girls had a goal he absolutely wanted to achieve, he had to defeat her no matter what.

“If you’re a magical girl with a title, I won’t show any mercy!!”

Drip…

With the madman’s shout, all kinds of tentacles emerged from the device on his back. The tentacles split into dozens of branches like sea anemones and were dripping liquid emitting a disgusting scent.

The tips of the tentacles had protrusions wriggling in a shape too embarrassing to even describe, and seeing that sight, the surrounding college girls were retching even while their bodies were frozen.

Wriggle

Wriggle

“…!”

“…!”

A sight revolting just to look at.

It was the madman’s obscene inner nature revealed by becoming a Mine.

The horse mask girl didn’t budge at all, maintaining a confident transformation pose even seeing the madman’s appearance.

‘What is this. Co-Could she be a 2-star magical girl?!’

The Witch of [Swift] currently feared even by S-class Mines. It was said that even Sato Hana awakened 2 stars from when she was in elementary school, and finally reached 3 stars during the Great War.

If this strange horse mask girl was also a genius like Sato Hana…

‘Th-Then I should run away.’

For a mere C-class Mine like the madman, even a 1-star awakened magical girl was a tough opponent.

“…”

“…”

The Mine and magical girl facing off.

The horse mask girl slowly took off her mask.

“Umm.”

Under the mask was a girl with a calm-looking impression, blushing with embarrassment.

“Umm… ac-actually I haven’t bloomed a title yet.”

“Oh, um… I-I see. Then can’t you just go away?”

“B-But.”

“Uncle has things to do.”

Embarrassment

Awkwardness

The madman completely lowered his guard again and retracted his tentacles.

“Just go home.”

“Umm, but I’m a magical girl so I can’t just leave…”

“What can a kid who hasn’t even bloomed do?”

“Ah, my dad’s a policeman.”

“Police are public servants too.”

“Pu…blic servants?”

“Yes, they can’t arbitrarily interfere in areas outside their department.”

“B-But my dad’s a really high-ranking policeman.”

“Then he wouldn’t come to the scene.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes, goodbye little girl.”

-What kind of dog logic is this.

The college girls listening to that conversation from the surroundings desperately signaled the girl not to leave with their eyes, in case the madman’s attention might turn from the little girl to them.

But the girl named Yamashita Asuka soon tried to leave the scene with dejected steps.

“Kehihit, now that the nuisance is gone, which beauty will be my lover tonight…”

At that moment

A refreshing woman’s voice rang out across the square.

“What lover!”

Swoooosh―!!!

Baaang!!

A beam of light fell from far up in the sky.

Wherever the light passed, gales arose, and the roar produced by breaking through air resistance made ears go numb.

A yellow meteor

A massive flash

The massive yellow meteor that arose from the blue sky passed through the Mine in an instant.

A young woman who appeared with a roar.

Her long side tail danced in the remaining gale, and she leisurely put one hand in her pocket while wearing shorts and sportswear.

With a large stature for a woman, she had a toned body like an athlete, and the yellow flashes emitting from her whole body shone dazzlingly even in broad daylight, revealing her presence.

“Don’t say bad things, sleep at the police station!”

The woman wrapped in yellow flashes lifted the Mine’s head with one hand without batting an eye, and the helplessly caught madman was bewildered but soon suffered as he was covered in an enormous amount of starlight.

Faaaash!!

A massive starlight that could purify even S-class Mines capable of paralyzing a city in an instant was shining.

“Kuaaack?!”

“Phew.”

Snap

As she appeared with a flash and snapped her fingers.

The yellow starlight spreading across the square undid the Mine’s evil magic.

“Th-That person is…!!”

“The Witch of Swift!!”

The people freed from restraints recognized that woman’s identity and became excited.

“Sa-Sato Hana!!”

“It’s Sato Hana!!”

“I’m a fan of Sato-san!!”

Crowds approaching while stepping on the fainted villain.

Hana, who was the most passionate about helping people even among witches, had fan feelings from any ordinary citizen. She always appeared like a meteor wherever people needed help and helped them.

“Thank you all for greeting me. If you request help, I’ll always rush over! Like a meteor!”

Because Hana thought the police couldn’t arrest the Mine in this state, she waved her hand responding to citizens’ excitement while grabbing the Mine’s collar and quickly disappeared somewhere again with a flash.

People were disappointed at Hana’s appearance disappearing in an instant.

“Ah, I wanted to see more.”

“…She’s really pretty and tall too.”

Men’s hearts were pounding at her tremendous speed and dazzling ability, and women were captivated by her gallant height and confident gaze.

“…”

The horse mask magical girl Asuka looked at Hana’s back like that, thinking that someday she wanted to become such a shining magical girl too.

Someday, definitely becoming a real Magical Girl of [Sculpture].

She wanted to fight on the same battlefield as the most shining Sato Hana.

“Haah, I should go to mom.”

Asuka put that dream in her heart and moved her powerless steps towards the doll workshop her mom runs. As she came out of the subway and walked heavily, she stopped on her way to Ikebukuro where the doll workshop was.

Swish

Swish

A skinny man wearing a mask modeled after a robot face was seen sweeping.

The part-time uncle working at the plastic model shop near the workshop.

When he confirmed Asuka, he lightly waved his hand in greeting.

“H-H-Hello.”

The uncle famous in the neighborhood for his robot mask as much as Asuka’s horse mask lived nearby.

The uncle who covered his whole body so children visiting the plastic model shop wouldn’t be surprised by his scars was one of the landmarks of this neighborhood.

“Huh? Assistant uncle? Hello.”

“We-Welcome. Ya-Yamashita-san. To-Today… pla-plastic model again?”

“No. I spent all my allowance last time and got scolded by mom.”

“I-I see.”

Clatter clatter

The robot mask uncle nodded with sympathetic eyes.

“Th-Then, ta-take this at least.”

The robot mask uncle rummaged through his apron with trembling hands from past wounds, and handed over a small armor doll that the doctor, who was the manager of the plastic model shop, had made as a gift.

“Oh! Thank you!”

“Th-Th-Then ta-take care. I he-hear Mines are appearing a lot these days, be-be careful.”

“Yes!”

When Asuka received the doll and peeked inside the plastic model shop, she saw a mixed-race woman in a tank top, a weak-looking delivery girl, and the ‘Foctor’ wearing clothes saying ‘manager’ on her skinny body chatting.

Looking closely with narrowed eyes, it seemed ‘Ninja’ had also come, judging from the strange deep green light flickering on the shop ceiling.

Swish

Swish

The robot mask uncle, uncomfortable with the space full of women, spent time pretending to sweep outside whenever the delivery person and the doctor’s friends came.

“Hmm.”

Asuka took her eyes off that plastic model shop and walked towards her mom’s doll workshop again.

Thanks to the robot uncle’s gift, her mood was better than before.