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Chapter 19
Chapter 1 — Blow all of heaven and earth to smithereens! • Episode 1-5 • Weakpoint ④
Translated by KaiesV
Edited by KaiesV
「Well then, we’re leaving, but you’re resting until tomorrow’s tests are done, okay?」
「Bye-bye～」
Blade left the room with a final look of concern for Elephant, who put on a patient gown and sat up in bed, while Press followed with a laugh and a wave of her hand.
After seeing them off, Elephant lies down on her hospital bed.
The battle with the Two-headed Sheep Diest was fierce, and Elephant eventually succeeded in defeating it alone, but the damage Elephant had sustained was significant.
It took three days for the patient to be completely cured, even with the help of science, magic, and medical treatment that had been developed from both sides. If you tell someone that the level of technology is such that a broken bone can be healed in a day, anyone will understand how significant Elephant’s wound was.
Fortunately, most of the superficial trauma and internal damage has been treated in the past three days, leaving only a few tests to be done just to be sure.
When she was first admitted to the hospital, Elephant was in extreme pain and screamed in agony just by moving around, but now she is pain-free and has calmed down to the point of showing a worried expression on her face.
The reason why she looked worried, even though her injuries were almost completely healed, was because she was concerned about the little Magical Girl she had saved, the Tyrant Sylph.
（Sylph-chan, I wonder if you are awake now.）
When Elephant first woke up, Blade and Press had just arrived for a visit. After everything that had happened, including Jack’s request for help, Elephant’s one-man battle and victory, and the resulting hospitalization, they rushed to the hospital when they found out what was going on.
At the time, the damage to her body was so severe that she was unable to speak properly, but after the treatment was complete, she heard from Blade and Press that Tyrant Sylph was safe and sound, while being worried and lectured by them.
At first, when Elephant heard from Blade and the others, she couldn’t stop her face from relaxing with joy.
She was happy that Blade and Press had come to visit her, and she was also happy that she had been able to defeat the Baron-class by herself. But what was most gratifying to Elephant was the fact that she was able to protect the Tyrant Sylph.
Elephant became a Magical Girl to protect those she cared about, but protecting the town and the world is something that is difficult to see a direct result of.
There is no doubt that Elephant’s fight is helping to protect this world, but it is difficult to realize in a tangible way.
In this situation, she was definitely able to protect the girl she wanted to be friends with by her own hands. There was no way she could not be happy about this.
Even if they did not become friends, it was most important to Elephant that she was able to protect the people she wanted to protect, so Elephant was already satisfied about the outcome of this battle.
She never thought, patronizingly, that she would use this as an opportunity to become friends. She was thinking of going back to tell her that she would like to be friends again when things had cooled off.
However, her joy turned to anxiety when Jack told her the next day that Tyrant Sylph had not woken up.
Furthermore, the next day, Tyrant Sylph did not wake up, and she thought that maybe she would never wake up, which only made her more anxious.
So it is no exaggeration to say that the visit came out of the blue for Elephant.
A discreet knock on the door.
「This is Sylph. May I come in?」
How could she forget her lovely voice, like the voice of an angel singing?
Elephant gasped at the thought of hearing the voice of the girl she had worried about for so long. She didn’t even notice that her lovely and dignified voice trembled slightly unlike the last time she saw her.
「Eh!? Sylph-chan!? Ah, it’s okay, come in!」
「Excuse me then.」
（Thank goodness, she had woken up… Ahh, enough! She’s so cute…）
Elephant’s eyes glowed inwardly when she saw Sylph in her blue patient gown. So far she had only seen the outfit after the transformation, which was also very lovely, but at the same time ostentatious, so Elephant wanted her to show an outfit that was more fully focused on cuteness.
Elephant was about to fly off on the wings of delusion, thinking that Sylph would look good in anything she wore, but she suddenly noticed that something was wrong with Sylph and stomped off.
Instead of the usual dignified air that keeps everyone at bay, Elephant sensed a somewhat strong atmosphere, like that of a small animal that is desperately trying to intimidate to protect itself.
「Thank you very much. For helping me out.」
Faster than Elephant can mention the discomfort she feels, Sylph, who has moved to the side of the bed, bows deeply and thanks her.
「That’s, no need to thank me! It’s a given, and it’s mutual! And my injuries weren’t too bad either!」
Remembering how she had been saved in the past, Elephant responded with an innocent smile.
Even if they are not usually close, even if they have never met, Magical Girls help each other. For Elephant, it was a given.
In fact, not all Magical Girls have such an admirable mindset. Coincidentally, however, the Magical Girls Elephant has met so far have all been those who have not deviated greatly from that way of thinking, although they differ somewhat in their beliefs and profit and loss.
She have never met a Magical Girl who would deny it or who would not understand it.
So to Elephant, that is what a Magical Girl is.
「More importantly, I’m glad you’re awake, Sylph-chan! I was so worried that you would never wake up again!」
Elephant deliberately puffed out her cheeks to show that she is angry.
Of course, she was not really angry, but it was true that her anger came from her concern not to be too reckless.
「Of course, right… And I was worried. I wonder if this means it’s real…」
「Eh?」
「Ahh, it’s nothing, this conversation here. More importantly, we hadn’t even introduced ourselves yet. As you may know, my name is Tyrant Sylph. I’m the Magical Girl of the Wind.」
「Yeah! As a Magical Girl from the same town of Sakira, I’m looking forward to working with you!」
Moved by the fact that she was finally able to communicate with the Tyrant Sylph in a straightforward manner, Elephant held out her hand.
Since she had come all the way to visit her and introduced herself once again, she thought they could now get along and fight together.
But the Tyrant Sylph did not hold her hand.
「I appreciate you helping me out. As a minimum courtesy, I came to thank you in person thus. But I do not intend to familiarize myself with other magical girls. So, I’m sorry. I can’t take your hand.」
Tyrant Sylph, her expression frozen, bows deeply as before.
Hearing her words, Elephant was about to withdraw at once, wondering if it was still too early. She have no intention of giving up on being friends with the Tyrant Sylph, but it would be counterproductive to force her hand. However, she noticed that Sylph’s shoulders were shaking slightly as she bowed her head, and she found herself shouting.
「It hurts!! Ouch–ouch–ouch–ouch!!!」
Elephant holding her stomach with a deliberate scream. If friends who knew what was going on, like Blade and Press, had seen it, they would have immediately recognized that it was a bad performance.
That is why Sylph is oblivious. She doesn’t know that Elephant, who fought for her life to save her and was severely injured, has already almost completely healed.
「Elephant-san!? Are you okay? I need to make a nurse call!」
Her face turned blue and her panicked appearance was not as cold as before, and Elephant understood that this was Sylph’s true form.
There is a reason why she tries to keep others away from her, why she tries not to show her emotions, but she is so trapped that she can’t act her strong self and shivers.
（If I pull out here, I feel like I’m screwed.）
There was no logic. It was intuition.
「Wait, Sylph-chan! I wish you’d rub my back. It would make me feel better. Aww–aww!」
「I–I understand.」
Sylph, showing her agitation, obeys Elephant’s words without doubts.
Elephant rubs herself on her stomach, which doesn’t hurt, and Tyrant Sylph rubs Elephant’s back anxiously.
「Thank you, it’s getting less and less painful.」
「Are you sure? Then I’m glad to hear it… Ehem, then I’ll be going then—」
Sylph, with a small cough to re-partition the air, was about to say goodbye, but Elephant interrupted her.
「Sylph-chan!」
「Wh–What is it?」
Sylph shakes her shoulders, perhaps startled by the sudden loud voice.
「I’ve been in the hospital for a long time and I’ve had a lot of free time, so I thought I’d go out today for a change. But I’ll be in trouble if I get stuck in pain like I was earlier, so will you stay with me just for today?」
「Ehh……」
Of course she had no such plans, and even her stomach ache was a lie. But the lie was very effective.
Tyrant Sylph would have dismissed the proposal under normal circumstances, but now she felt guilty because she was the one responsible for Elephant’s serious injury.
Elephant did not think it was Sylph’s fault at all, but she was aware of Sylph’s feeling of guilt.
She really did not want to take advantage of such a kind Sylph’s feelings, but there was no doubt that she would have been turned down if she had asked in the usual way.
She had no intention of ingratiating herself for originally helping Sylph. But Elephant’s intuition whispered to her that she should not leave Sylph alone here and now, that she should not send her home.
「…I understand.」
「Yay! Thank you, Sylph-chan—! We’re already friends because we’re going out together!」
「I–It’s only for today!」
Thus, Elephant succeeded in tricking Tyrant Sylph into going on a date with her.