episode_0021

All fallen ones die.

Living as corrupted beings, they either continue to live as monsters that suck the mana of magical girls or are killed by magical girls.

Humanity no longer viewed them as human beings.

Having become servants of demons, they became enemies of humanity who were once human, and despite the burden of killing humans, magical girls mercilessly dispersed their magic.

Of course, there were magical girls who said they couldn’t kill even if they died.

What can be said about this is, is it really right for teenage girls to take on the role of executioners?

Magical girls did their best to contain the demons, and some took on the role of executioners to kill the demons.

The most representative example is Sandalphon.

When other magical girls occasionally failed to capture demons as prisoners, the concept of containment was nonexistent for Sandalphon.

If it existed, it was merely a technique to bind and decapitate.

Thanks to Sandalphon’s actions, humanity acted without hesitation against the fallen ones, but things changed slightly after the fall of Dongtan.

The disappearance of teenage demons.

Whether the constraints have weakened due to this, or new laws have emerged in the world.

Occasionally among the fallen ones, there were cases where they returned to being human.

They washed away all their sins, sought forgiveness, turned to religion, donated all their possessions, reflected, repented, and willingly became targets of revenge for the victims.

It’s not just about reducing sentences in court; those who sincerely repent, apologize, and carry the intention to live with remorse returned to being human.

Well, it’s almost an impossible story.

Becoming a fallen one implies having that much malice, so it’s not an easy feat.

Just sending applause of comfort towards Minamoto Sawurce, who returned to being human with a statistical probability of around 0.3%.

“It’s going to get tougher from now on.”

Your nude photos will circulate on the internet for a lifetime, but at least you’ve become an adult who reflects on your mistakes, so there’s still a chance.

As long as you don’t die, everyone has a chance for a comeback.

No matter how difficult and painful the environment is, as long as you can meet people willing to lend a helping hand, there is a way to survive.

Anywhere, as long as you come to the city of hope.

“If that doesn’t happen, then there’s nothing more we can do.”

There are many magical girls who willingly extend a helping hand to those struggling in the world.

As long as you don’t die, as long as you have the will to live without falling, as long as you don’t give up hope, you can somehow survive.

Team Leader Minamoto is the same.

I silently blessed and prayed for his new life.

“Team Leader Misaki? It seems like the situation is under control.”

“…Yeah. Finally.”

Misaki reached out to me, and I handed her the smartphone.

Beep, beep.

“Yes. Understood. Code-SDP situation occurred on-site. Requesting immediate activation of the protection program.”

Code SDP.

When Team Leader Minamoto wakes up, the witches will calmly explain to her what situation has occurred and what has happened.

Then she will undergo facial reconstruction and live with a new identity and occupation in a new place.

In some cases, people even change their gender entirely, but that’s really extreme.

“Phew….”

So stay calm.

Although there is a naked human kneeling and collapsed over there –

“This is the scene. I am Murata Misaki, head of the Comprehensive Countermeasures Department. Please send five cleanup personnel to the scene and rescue the Code-SDP subject for transportation to the hospital. Yes. Over.”

Misaki, unable to bear looking at it directly, requested support from headquarters via her smartphone.

Eeeek.

The police sirens soon blare as officers quickly set up barricades around the scene, approaching cautiously towards former team leader Minamoto with guns drawn.

“…Ready your weapons, assume defensive positions!”

It seems as if they were worried that the devil had disguised himself as ‘returning as a human.’

“Gaiger, counter!”

“Counter! …All clear!”

“All clear! Release to level 3 alert! Maintain protective formation!”

Fortunately, as a nearby officer scans up and down with a radiation scanner, tension eases a bit at the scene.

“Team leader!! Miss Mumei!!”

And then, Seiya rushes towards us.

“Phew, phew. I didn’t think it would come to this….”

Seiya still couldn’t contain his excitement, swinging the baseball bat that still glimmered with a red light.

“Is my sincerity getting through? Huh?!”

Well, for now, since he’s not dead.

He swung his weapon prepared to kill, but since he didn’t die and became human.

“Yes, Seiya. I think so.”

Team leader Misaki points her thumb towards Seiya.

“Because Seiya’s feelings reached him, Team Leader Minamoto could reflect and repent.”

“I might have said something harsh.”

“That’s fine. In fact….”

“Hahaha….”

Misaki and Seiya look at me.

“…Miss Mumei. Although the situation is resolved for now, speaking like that against a fallen one is dangerous.”

“Dangerous?”

“Yes. If Miss Mumei had been hurt, what would we have done?”

Misaki approaches me and puts her hand on my shoulder.

“We are not magical girls, nor are we witches who retired. Right?”

“……”

I’m not a retired witch, but I am a magical girl.

Even at 27, compared to higher-dimensional beings like Sephiras, I can be classified as a girl.

“Of course, thanks to what Miss Mumei said, Minamoto’s mind was shaken. Hearing such harsh words might have momentarily dispelled his thoughts of destroying Neodongtan.”

“Isn’t that a good thing?”

“And he probably intended to kill Miss Mumei. If Seiya hadn’t been there, the attack might have been directed straight at Miss Mumei.”

Misaki firmly grabs my shoulder with a serious expression.

“No member of my team should be harmed or killed by a fallen one. Never again….”

“…?”

“…No, it’s nothing.”

Misaki stammers as she pats my shoulder, but I understand immediately why she’s saying this to me.

‘I jumped into being a magical girl since your high school days.’

Surely, she must have experienced losing a colleague in the past.

The grave of a national magical girl government official who was murdered while buying time against a monster is spread not only in Japan but worldwide.

“Next time….”

“If this is effective, we will do it again.”

“What?”

“I didn’t say those things to bring back former Team Leader Minamoto.”

I point at Seiya.

“I did it to protect her mental state from being shaken by the fallen one, so that the one turned into a monster wouldn’t shake Seiya, just to protect her mentality.”

“So…you….”

“Yes. I didn’t say those things to save Team Leader Minamoto. Since he’s alive, I wasn’t trying to resurrect him. That’s not it.”

A magical girl is more important than a fallen one.

Just because someone has fallen once doesn’t mean there’s no chance for redemption as a human, but that doesn’t mean that those living their lives affected by the fallen ones’ suffering and pain should suffer.

“He tried to shake Seiya with words, and if he had made a mistake, Seiya’s determination could have crumbled. Of course, I believe in Seiya, so I thought her spirit wouldn’t break, but still, I can’t burden her with that alone.”

I smiled and nodded my head towards the silent Seiya, “Before entrusting all responsibilities to a magical girl, I will do my best to support you as an adult.”

“Adult….”

“Seiya, you don’t have to think that you need to take on all the responsibilities.”

It was something Misaki team leader should have said, but since Misaki wasn’t the type to say such things, I decided to speak instead.

“You just need to do your best. The rest is up to the adults.”

Well.

If you criticize me for saying such things in an intern probationary contract position.

“If you don’t like it, you can go somewhere else.”

You could say it’s irresponsible.

Even if it’s not Neodongtan, there are plenty of places I can go.

* * *

After the battle.

As the situation settled down, Seiya received orders to return home.

“Are you okay?”

“Yeah, I’m fine.”

Upon returning home, Seiya was worried about by family, but their concerns didn’t seem to register with Seiya.

“I’m tired, I’ll rest a bit.”

“Dinner?”

“I ate out.”

In reality, they hadn’t eaten.

But they weren’t hungry.

Thud.

Seiya collapsed onto the bed.

There was no energy to change clothes or get ready.

“……”

Turning over, they stared at the ceiling.

A figure flickered on the white ceiling, and a voice repeated in their ears.

“Adult….”

Until now, Seiya had seen many adults.

Through their activities as a magical girl, they had seen more adults than as a student.

Among those adults, were there really any who could be called ‘adult’?

I don’t know.

There seemed to be, but no one had spoken to them like that before.

“Responsibility.”

If you’re an adult, act like one.

Why does that phrase make my heart race so much?

“……Hehe.”

Seiya hugged Dakimakura lying beside them tightly.

A long cushion shaped like an animal with an elongated waist, called ‘Flying Sandalphon,’ depicted in 2D.

“Adult….”

For the first time as a magical girl, Seiya felt like they were seeing an adult.

“If you’re a member of society, act like one. La.”

Next to their parents, it was practically the first time someone saw Seiya not as a magical girl, but as a ‘girl.’

“Miss Mumei.”

The face of the person flickering on the ceiling came to Seiya’s mind.

“Hehe, ehehe….”