Chapter 28 : The Third Light

The first light of the Glass Star is connected to dreams.

Dreams that girls find and discover.

The second light of the Glass Star is connected to fate.

Fate that leads dreams connected to others.

The third light of the Glass Star is connected to the world.

A world that declares its domain and accepts others.

When the second red broadcast passed and four magical girls declared to the world.

The only domain most magical girls could go to was the domain of [War].

* * *

In a situation where demons descended, and magical girls opposed each other, the four domains established by those with transcendent power were the final consideration and malice of the three evil gods who were the true villains.

[War] left only the strong in its domain.

[Revelation] left only believers in its domain.

[Plague] left only the sick in its domain.

[Death] left only souls in its domain.

That’s why [War] suddenly appeared in the land where the strongest, namely magical girls, were gathered and fighting.

‘I had planned to avoid it at all costs because I really didn’t want to encounter it.’

The moment I become hostile to that one described as the strongest, the merit of being a born 3-star becomes as good as gone.

The TV news was buzzing about the era of magical girls that would begin with [Beginning]’s inauguration as chairperson of the alliance council.

‘In the original work, the real era of magical girls begins when they hold the power of life and death over ordinary people.’

Crash

“Ah?!”

“Hm?”

The Master, who was adjusting various types of coffee grinders, looked at me doing the dishes as if nothing was wrong. Then he turned his gaze back to the grinder and blurted out:

“Go home if you’re not feeling well.”

“…It’s not that time of the month.”

“Who said anything about that?”

“When you try to awkwardly change the subject while bringing medicine, asking if I caught a cold or have indigestion, it’s obviously that.”

“You seem to be that too, judging by how you’re nitpicking words.”

The Master chuckled momentarily, then waved his hand, indicating I should take a break.

I sat on the bench under the shade behind the cafe and looked at the scenery of Yokohama Port.

Whoosh

Whoosh

White ships coming and going beyond the blue horizon defined the boundary between sea and sky.

Contrary to my mood, the cloudless seaside was so clear and clean that it made me feel even more gloomy inside.

As I was looking at the clear sky with complicated thoughts, I heard Sato Hana’s voice.

“Hikari-chan.”

Tiptoeing

Sato Hana approached with quiet steps, her side tail swaying, after checking if the mean mister who usually smoked here was around.

In Hana’s mind, the Master seemed to be in an ambiguous position. He would play rude pranks but feel uncomfortable when actually facing her.

You’d think they’d become close after seeing each other for 2 years, coming in and out of the cafe.

“Hana-chan.”

“Hehe, were you looking at the seaside? I always do that too when I feel stuffy in my room.”

Oomph!

Hana playfully climbed onto my lap.

The high body temperature unique to young children was a bit painful in the August heat, but I didn’t show it and hugged Hana tightly.

If I showed even a slight sign of dislike, this kind and sensitive child might get hurt.

“When are you thinking of going to school, Hana-chan?”

“Umm~ about that~ Mom and Dad said I took too long a break from school, so I should start from 5th grade of elementary school based on my age.”

“Are you scared about starting from a higher grade?”

“No! I learned everything up to 6th grade at the hospital!”

“Hana-chan is smart.”

“Ehehe!”

Hana smiled as she looked back at my words and continued:

“So they asked if I’d rather enter middle school and make new friends instead of going to an elementary school where kids are already hanging out together.”

“I see, that makes sense.”

Thinking about it, it might be better for Hana, who took a break from school, to start in the first year of middle school, where everyone is bewildered, rather than squeezing in among kids who have lived together for five years.

“Hana-chan is smart and kind, so you’ll make friends quickly.”

“Hehe, but Hikari-chan is still my first and best friend!”

“Thank you, Hana-chan.”

“But I’m looking forward to going to middle school in 2 years!”

“…”

2 years.

Will this world still be intact by then?

Will I be able to see Hana in a school uniform?

“Hana-chan.”

“Yes?”

“Do you still want to help many people as a magical girl?”

“Yes!”

“I see.”

“I see~”

I hugged Hana tightly again as she repeated my words.

Hana, whether knowing my feelings or not, giggled as she let herself be hugged.

You know.

I want to see it too.

Hana helping people, wearing a school uniform, and going to school with friends.

At that moment, I realized.

“Ah…”

This is my true feelings.

The answer was already decided for me.

I will save this world.

It didn’t require as grand a resolution as I thought.

It started from a tiny wish.

The big choice that might change everything in the future was made during an insignificant conversation on a bench behind the cafe on a hot summer day.

‘Rather, I might not have seen my true feelings in the midst of complicated thoughts.’

I made the final resolution that I hadn’t been able to sort out in a corner of my mind since the day I decided to help Haruko until I finished what happened in Kabukicho.

* * *

“Inspector Yamashita! Are you listening!”

“Yes, I’m listening well, so please stop asking, Miss Ishikawa. It’s the 21st time.”

“Miss?! I’m the proper head of the magical girl countermeasures team of the Metropolitan Police Department, the magical girl of [Order], Ishikawa Tsugumi!”

“Yes, Team Leader, that’s the 33rd time you’ve said that.”

Hmph hmph

The girl in a magical girl outfit modeled after a detective’s jacket and police uniform, with thick eyebrows twitching in enthusiasm, entered the meeting hall while soothing her unenthusiastic subordinate.

Yamashita felt self-loathing at his situation of calling a girl who looked barely old enough for high school ‘Team Leader’.

‘How did I end up looking after the Superintendent General’s granddaughter?’

During the Kabukicho incident, Yamashita had taken time off and was drinking heavily at home.

He was at home looking at housing contract sites, wondering whether it would be more comfortable to be assigned to Sagawa or Gunma, when he got a call from the Superintendent General.

-Yamashita-kun! Is it true that you cooperated with magical girls to save citizens?

-Huh…?

With remnants of an elite police officer left in his mind, Yamashita quickly turned on his PC to check the news.

An article about what happened in Kabukicho.

There was the image of a nameless hero evacuating citizens.

[Protecting citizens’ safety is the natural duty of the police!]

His own image spouting lines that only a hot-blooded policeman with a brain full of muscle would say.

That hot-blooded policeman disappeared into the darkness with the end of the situation, without revealing his name or rank.

A face like his own.

A police officer who didn’t reveal his rank.

Whatever the reason, it would be better than the backwaters of Gunma and Saga.

No risk, high return.

‘This is an opportunity.’

Yamashita had been a man who hadn’t miss opportunities since graduating from Tokyo University’s law department.

-Of course, isn’t protecting citizens’ safety the natural duty of the police! As soon as I heard citizens were in trouble, I rushed out immediately!

-Very good! We needed someone with experience cooperating with magical girls within the Metropolitan Police Department, and this is perfect!

-Hahaha!

-From now on, you’ll be the deputy head of the magical girl countermeasures team!

-Hahaha! Thank you!

And now.

“Inspector Yamashita! Where has the spirit you showed when evacuating citizens gone!”

“I’m sorry.”

“Inspector Yamashita! Why is the magical girl security force training progressing so slowly!”

“I’m sorry.”

“Inspector Yamashita! Where did the pudding in the office refrigerator go!”

“It wasn’t me.”

“Are you lying when only Inspector Yamashita and I are in the office because the security force training isn’t finished yet!”

“I’m sorry.”

A makeshift department in the Metropolitan Police Department with only two team members for now.

Yamashita became its only minion. And he came to today’s inauguration ceremony of the Magical Girl Alliance Council as a member of the ‘National Magical Girl Official Organization’.

Murmur murmur

The meeting hall he entered with unenthusiastic steps consisted of a central table where dozens could sit around and gallery seats where hundreds could observe.

All sorts of people were moving around between them, finding and sitting in their seats.

‘It’s just like the National Diet.’

Amidst the many people already seated, famous magical girls who had already appeared on broadcasts or magical girls selected as representatives of companies or official organizations were sitting at the central table.

There were those famous enough to recognize just by face and girls sitting with bewildered looks as if they had been selected from somewhere.

‘What kind of self-governing body is this?’

Behind those girls, adults stood one by one, constantly exchanging opinions via radio or phone.

They occasionally whispered instructions to the girls or confirmed items written in their notebooks one by one.

‘So the magical girls are just puppets, is that it?’

Tsugumi went to her seat at the central table with her name written on it and sat down.

Yamashita stood quietly behind that chair.

Unlike the surrounding adults, he was in a position to be swayed by that girl, which made him feel ridiculous.

[Head of Metropolitan Police Department Magical Girl Countermeasures Team and Security Force Representative]

‘What on earth is this supposed to be?’

To Yamashita, even this inauguration ceremony looked like nothing more than a political game where adults watching through screens each held a paper doll.

Tap

Tap

Tap

When magical girls were seated in all seats except one, Fujimoto Sumire, as interim representative, struck the gavel to signal the start.

Everyone except the ‘secretaries’ standing one by one behind the magical girls went to sit in the gallery seats.

And now.

“We will begin the inauguration ceremony of the Magical Girl Alliance Council and the inauguration of the chairperson.”

Sumire’s eyes did not leave the single empty seat.

Will she come?

Will she sit in that seat as the representative of magical girls?

Will she start a new era together with Fujimoto?

Sumire hoped, just a little, that the righteous girl would remain forever as just a one-night dream.

Because Fujimoto’s ways cannot grasp dreams.

‘Or perhaps she could show a new direction…’