Chapter 31 : Change #3

It was around this time that the gardens in spheres that looked like soap bubbles beyond Japan’s sky became familiar.

“…It’s not possible.”

“Is it because that is the law set by that person?”

For the first time, Sumire looked directly at her father and stared silently.

It was the face of a lord leading the family alone on a blood-soaked path, carrying the lives and responsibilities of tens of millions on his back.

Should she blame him for being evil?

Should she blame the things that could have happened due to her father’s ignorance?

Should she blame the things discarded due to ignorance?

Hadn’t she herself also been trapped in ignorance?

‘I, too, was a fool who didn’t know where to use my power.’

It was placed in too vast and complex a causality for Sumire to assert.

That’s why Sumire presented logic that she herself could understand.

Perhaps for the first time, her true intentions were revealed sincerely before her father.

“It’s because I am a magical girl.”

“…”

“Because I was Fujimoto and a magical girl.”

Sumire spoke while looking at the blue ribbon in her hand.

“Just as you do, Father, I too wish to take responsibility in my position.”

“…Are you trying to bring down Fujimoto?”

“I wish to [Protect] Fujimoto ‘as well’.”

Great Cause.

That was the answer Sumire had come up with during the two months since the first Dream of Walpurgis.

Eiji looked at his daughter momentarily, at a loss for words.

The person before him was no longer a daughter following his words but another lord standing with her own beliefs.

‘She’s broken as Fujimoto’s successor.’

Eiji turned his back and quietly picked up a Japanese sword placed on the shelf, giving it to Sumire. Sumire grasped that sword with her bare hand, not covered by her sleeve.

Severance.

It was the meaning of gifting a sword.

Even if father and daughter’s beliefs didn’t clash, they were separated into different colors, and Eiji couldn’t accept that. It was just the final farewell to the family jewel he had cherished most for the past 17 years.

“Farewell, Father.”

Sumire quietly left the rooftop garden.

“…”

Eiji muttered while looking at the sky.

“Is human law meaningless under heaven’s law?”

Eiji brushed off from his mind the memory of his daughter, who had become a celestial maiden flying to that distant sky rather than a monarch leading the family, and made plans to lead Fujimoto again.

Fujimoto Eiji was still the ruler of the human world and had too many things on his shoulders.

Four girls approached Sumire as she left the Fujimoto headquarters building.

Among them, Rena casually spoke with her hands in her khaki hoodie pockets.

“So? What are you going to do now, Boss?”

“Don’t worry, I’ll use my personal funds to proceed with finding your families.”

“I didn’t know those people would change their names and hide abroad, so I don’t mind if it takes a long time.”

As Rena said, the families of the group they had found by digging through 10-year-old ledgers in Kabukicho had all changed their names a few years ago and left only traces of disappearing somewhere.

“I’ll have to continue with the Magical Girl Council work while coordinating problems occurring here and there.”

Sumire glanced slightly towards Kaede.

Kaede was still expressionless, but looking closely, she seemed somewhat dejected.

“Kaede, you should return to Mumei now too. I am no longer a Fujimoto person.”

“The Elder has not given any other orders since the mission to ‘assist the young miss.’”

“I am no longer part of the Fujimoto family.”

“I, too, have been expelled from Mumei.”

“…”

Sumire raised her head and looked at the rooftop of Fujimoto headquarters.

She couldn’t understand her father’s such careless handling, as even the lowest Ding-grade members of Mumei were entrusted with secret tasks.

‘To hand over a kunoichi who failed in her first mission without disposing of her…’

Coincidentally, Sumire already had a sword in her hand that could execute external enemies.

And one low-ranking kunoichi who had been used as a touchstone to gauge the enemy because she hadn’t been privy to family secrets.

‘Fujimoto has two swords.’

The villain, who had killed even his brother for the family, had given two swords to his daughter, who was leaving to protect something more significant than the family.

Is this a sign of complete severance or a final gift as a father?

What should be [Protected] now with the two swords in hand?

“For now, it’s time for the regular meeting, so let’s go to the Central Garden.”

“Got it, Boss!”

“Yes, Miss.”

“Yes~!”

“Okay…”

Even if five girls disappeared from the street in a flash of light, no one was shocked or surprised, though they might find it curious.

“They were magical girls.”

“I thought so.”

As the street became quiet again, six girls in white uniforms came running.

They were urgently sending messages somewhere while checking directions on their phones.

“Team leader! Let’s go a bit slower!”

“No, we’re already late! We have to visit 11 more hospitals today!”

“Director Himari sets the schedule too tight!”

“We’re running around because the number of relief corps members has greatly increased! In my time, we rode helicopters!”

“Let us ride helicopters too~”

Uahahahahaha-!

The girls who were running urgently turned their heads toward the source of the sound that suddenly echoed through the street.

Wuggle wuggle

Ten giant shark dolls blocked the main road, advancing and pushing cars away. On top of the largest shark doll was a girl wearing a shark-shaped hood.

Wuggle wuggle

“Praise the shark! The shark is the greatest creature and the hunter of all things!”

“Aah, another magical girl?!”

“Hey! Take it easy! We’re busy, you know!”

“To actually see the march of [Shark].”

Feeling the light entering her star as much as the annoyance, curiosity, and interest sent by passersby, the shark girl laughed loudly.

“Uahahaha! Just by marching, the shark family is growing!!”

The girls from the relief corps, looking at the road blocked by the shark march, asked their team leader:

“Team leader?! Didn’t we have to pass through there?!”

“Aaah… if we miss the schedule, Director Himari will scold us…”

Weeeeee-!

Beepoo beepoo

At that moment, as the siren sound echoed through the street, the girls’ expressions brightened, and they shouted while looking at each other’s faces.

“It’s the security force!”

[You there! Shark! Didn’t I tell you you’d be sealed if you got caught one more time!]

[Don’t move!! Shark!! I’m arresting you for traffic law violation!! There have been several complaints about you at Walpurgis this time too!! We’ll confiscate your starlight for at least a month!!]

A girl with thick eyebrows and a man in his 30s yelled while holding megaphones from the police bus.

Due to the insufficient number of security force members, the fatigue of the Magical Girl Countermeasures Team patrolling nationwide led directly to irritation towards magical girls playing pranks.

[Inspector Yamashita! It’s time for my regular meeting now, so please take command!]

[Aaah Team Leader!!!]

There was a flash of light inside the bus, then the door swung open and girls in security force uniforms ran out with whistles in their mouths.

Yamashita walked out wearily with a face full of fatigue.

Dududu

“1st platoon is the arrest team for the magical girl of [Shark]! 2nd and 3rd platoons, spread out widely with psychic power to stop those damn shark dolls from moving further!”

“4th platoon will handle traffic control!”

“Oh, oh, right! 4th platoon, take one light stick each and control the vehicles!”

Beep!

Beep!

As the security force magical girls moved into their positions in an orderly manner, the situation began to be sorted out instantly.

Twelve girls spread their psychic power widely to corral the shark dolls, and the six-member arrest team used arrest techniques employing Blink to pull down the shark girl.

“Aaaargh, my dream was to realize the ancient giant shark! How futile!”

“Shut up!”

Click

The situation was wrapped up as a security force magical girl, full of irritation from arduous duty, put magical girl countermeasure restraints issued at Walpurgis on the magical girl of [Shark].

“Deputy Team Leader Yamashita, we’ll go judge the suspect in the garden.”

“Good work.”

Two magical girls disappeared with a flash of light while restraining both arms of the magical girl of [Shark].

“Garden…”

Yamashita muttered while looking at the aerial garden that was growing larger even at this moment.

“The garden of magical girls…”

They were a special existence using supernatural abilities and a heterogeneous group claiming their own rule of law.

At the same time, when their own judgment was over, they fulfilled their duties as members of society and actively blended into society.

“I didn’t expect it to be like this just 5 months after magical girls appeared.”

Shining vehicles flying in the sky or girls drawing attention by playing large-scale pranks.

Girls showing beautiful appearances and outstanding skills.

Girls helping sick people and punishing bad people.

Not just because they wear shining clothes or show transcendent abilities, but because they showed how to lead this somewhat stagnant society with dreams.

People called it magic.

That’s why they called them magical girls.

Yamashita picked up a piece of newspaper blown by the wind.

Rustle

[Whereabouts of the magical girl of [Beginning]?]

[The first and strongest magical girl]

“The magical girl of [Beginning]…”

Suddenly, he recalled that girl he had seen in Odaiba.

A magical girl who fought adults to protect magical girls, surrounded by a mysterious aura.

Magical girls respected or feared that girl who created the current world, calling her the ‘Faceless King’.

She had not shown herself for two months since establishing the garden.

“Deputy Team Leader Yamashita?”

“Ah, I was just thinking for a moment. I’ll be right there.”

As the bus driver called Yamashita who was standing blankly, he put the newspaper piece in his pocket and boarded the bus.

Vroom

As the bus carrying the security force passed by, the passersby who had been watching the security force in the street returned to their original daily lives.

Looking forward to which magical girl would play pranks or show amazing skills tomorrow.