Chapter 4 : The Colorless Magical Girl

[Good morning everyone. This is Yamada’s Morning Walk.]

[Today, we have a special guest who has been chosen as a ma-gi-cal girl!]

[G-Good morning! I’m Shizuku from Narita City, Chiba Prefecture!]

[Haha, no need to be nervous, Shizuku-chan.]

[I never thought I’d be on here because my mama… I mean, my mom always plays Yamada-san’s Morning Walk at the store.]

[Does Shizuku-chan call her mother ‘mama’?]

[Ah! W-Well, about that…]

The girl was flustered by the childish term that unconsciously came out of her mouth, making an ‘awuu’ sound0 in embarrassment.

The audience rather liked it, making fond laughing sounds, and the studio was filled with a warm atmosphere.

I turned off the radio without listening to the end of the morning traffic report read by the girl named Shizuku.

‘Now the changes are slowly starting.’

A week after the opening declaration, also called the red broadcast.

On the Monday that came again, there was a different atmosphere flowing than usual.

It was because changes were detected in the girls who received stars.

It wasn’t a negative change.

If it were, it wouldn’t have been just a change in atmosphere, but parents would have burst into worried screams and rushed into hospitals all at once.

These changes were introduced through vivid testimonies of people featured in various news and weekly magazines.

-Until recently, I had a lot of acne and skin troubles, but they’ve disappeared!

-I’ve grown a bit taller… and suddenly developed here and there…

-The doctor said I’ve become incomparably healthier than a week ago.

Girls who were extremely ordinary until just a week ago.

After receiving the glass stars, parts that had been distorted during their growth process, like teeth or eyesight, were corrected, and they changed into ideal forms through various changes.

In just a week, they showed external changes that were incomparable to before.

People who witnessed these changes began to get excited as if it were a festival.

Although the atmosphere was mostly dazed by the suddenly changed reality, the thrill shared through the unconscious spread throughout the country.

Even though it wasn’t happening to them, people wanted to see the girls showing dramatic changes like butterflies emerging from cocoons, and they rejoiced in the changes happening to these girls as if they were their own.

[Magical Girls = Salvation]

[New Humanity of a New Era?]

[Witnessing Human Evolution]

[Observing Their Changes]

The girls of the new era who suddenly appeared became the pride of the nation and new idols.

Entertainment companies that caught onto the fervent desire of the citizens in just 3 days worked tirelessly over the weekend to turn these girls into true idols.

[We accept reports from those who have received glass stars 24 hours a day.]

[We welcome magical girls who want to appear on broadcasts.]

With the conviction that higher ratings would go to the broadcasting stations that recruited more magical girls.

On the much-anticipated Monday.

Girls proving that they had become magical girls appeared as surprise guests on all regular broadcasts of all TV stations. And viewers who witnessed them wanted to see them as entertainment, showering them with all sorts of personal questions.

In just a week, they forgot about the memories related to the ominous broadcast and were solely focused on the visible interest.

In just a week, magical girls were being well-packaged and turned into products.

A series of almost manic trends was spreading throughout society.

Before this world moves towards true tragedy.

The last step.

“…”

I went out to the street, leaving everything behind.

Ping pong

Ping pong

Ping pong

What made me realize I was in Japan immediately after reincarnating into this world wasn’t the Japanese flowing from my mouth like water or the student ID written in Japanese, but this crosswalk signal sound.

In my previous life, I lived in a provincial city in Korea where crossing at a signal was considered a luxury, and there was intense eye contact battles between vehicles and pedestrians.

That’s why I felt unfamiliar and floating from each of these small atmospheric details.

If I had been someone who enjoyed traveling in my previous life, I might have considered even this atmosphere as a kind of romance.

But I didn’t feel that way.

All that was left was the loneliness of a foreigner.

A foreign substance dropped alone in this world.

The longing to return.

The bewilderment about the changed body.

The fragments of emotions falling like crumbs in my heart tormented me in various parts of daily life.

“Is she a model? What a unique impression.”

“She seems to be from abroad.”

“Wow, those breasts.”

I put aside all thoughts and glared at the guy who just muttered about breasts.

‘Who is that guy.’

The guy who was waiting next to the crosswalk lowered his head when our eyes met and pretended to be surfing the web on his smartphone.

“Wow… what a heartbreaking story.”

“…”

My upward-slanting narrow eyes often exerted their power.

Anyway.

An impression closer to Caucasian than Japanese in appearance.

Eyes that almost close when smiling slightly.

Red eyes occasionally glimpsed between the eyelids.

And quite large ones that contrast with the youthful impression…

“…Haah.”

Because of this unique appearance, I was gradually getting used to hearing numerous gazes and mutterings while stopping briefly on the street like this, but this time I felt a fresh unpleasantness.

‘Even if it were the me from my previous life, I probably would have stared if a silver-haired beautiful girl was walking around openly.’

Seeing my unique appearance reminded me of the advice the Master had given.

-You have a decent appearance, so it’s better to pressure others with a smile rather than getting angry.

-With a smile? How? Can you show me, Master?

-Sure. Just like that, smirking like an old man.

-I’m not an old man.

The Master, who chuckled, said seriously.

-As you live, you’ll often find that getting angry indiscriminately is a bad move.

-Won’t they look down on me if I don’t get angry?

-Even if you get angry, instead of lashing out indiscriminately, you pressure the other person calmly with spirit.

-Are you saying that suits me?

-Yes. Your heart isn’t weak and delicate like that of an ordinary girl, is it?

At that time, the Master quietly stared at me over his glasses.

-Strong and calm towards the other person with spirit. That suits you very well.

-I see.

The wisdom of someone who had lived life first, not just knowledge to boast about.

Even for me, who would be 29 years old if I added the age from my previous life, I heard many good stories that could be called enlightening.

Thanks to that, I was able to get by without being looked down upon by rude riffraff like that guy just now.

Ping pong

Ping pong

Ping pong

My thoughts were cleared by the sound of the law’s majesty stopping drivers and protecting weak pedestrians, and I moved my feet.

On the way into the convenience store, I saw newspaper stands spread out.

[Girls’ Talk Show! This week’s guest is…]

[Monthly School Look: Magical Girl Special Edition]

Everywhere was filled with stories about magical girls.

That treatment somewhere between idol and aspiring athlete.

There, an unconscious admiration for superior bloodlines and a desire for the realization of perfect idols down to the genetic level were revealed.

Just a gaze looking at products.

It also meant that magical girls’ abilities were not yet treated as abilities that could overturn society.

According to the story in the original work, it wouldn’t be long before the perception changed from just treating them as pretty youngest children to core human resources of the nation. The beginning of the tragedy that occurred in the early days of magical girl society, which was vaguely hinted at in the original work.

[Magical Girl Supernatural Ability Weaponization Plan]

The plan that failed with too many sacrifices gives birth to the seeds of discord along with the full-fledged blooming of magical girls.

The formation of ‘FLAG’, a terrorist organization composed of magical girls who became suspicious of the state and social system.

‘FLAG’ and ‘Corporate Alliance’

‘Magical Girls’ and ‘the State’

Days different from the peaceful two years so far were coming.

Within 6 months, corporations and nations that realized the value of basic magic form an alliance.

At the same time, FLAG is formed in opposition to the alliance’s [Magical Girl Supernatural Ability Weaponization Plan].

Simultaneously, the ‘blooming’ of the first 2-star magical girl begins.

And due to the disaster caused by the [War] magical girl, all of Japan, including Shinjuku, turns into a lawless zone.

I sighed and put down the newspaper.

* * *

“Inspector Oshima. This is an order from above.”

“Who’s in charge?”

“From Superintendent Yamashita…”

“I see. Directly under the Superintendent General?”

Oshima, who was leisurely heading to the cafeteria during lunch time, carefully opened the file handed to him by his subordinate.

[This report is about the supernatural abilities used at various locations, including the crime scene of Miss B, who is presumed to be a magical girl…]

“Supernatural abilities?”

[…In short, they are presumed to be unique abilities manifesting in girls called magical girls.]

[Ahead of full-scale research, an environment where we could be attacked by public opinion might be created.]

[Therefore, we aim to collect samples in a state where we can restrain them without noise and conduct research.]

“…”

“The headquarters instructed to carry it out as quietly as possible.”

“I understand.”