/
Chapter 24
Chapter 1 — Blow all of heaven and earth to smithereens! • Episode 1-7 • Friend ①
Translated by KaiesV
Edited by KaiesV
It was ugly. It was an ugly situation.
What am I doing clinging to a girl more than a year older than me and crying? It was embarrassing and shameful.
Three days have passed since then, and I am still writhing in shame.
But I cannot deny that there was a mistake.
I was afraid of fighting, of having my spirit interfered with, and of losing my emotional connection to the world.
I hate to admit it, but I have to. It was necessary to shed tears of warmth at that time. Otherwise, I am sure I would not have been able to keep my cool enough to feel shame.
I haven’t fought once in the past three days. I haven’t even transformed into a magical girl.
Notification of the Diest occurrence has not stopped coming. That obnoxious blast sounded several times over the past three days, but each time I put on my earphones and continued to ignore it.
After all, even if I didn’t fight, the other magical girls would do something about it. I’m a new Magical Girl, and they’ve always been able to get by without me.
Elephant-san was right. All I had to do was run away from things I didn’t want to do.
I may never be able to go back to the way I was. I may never be able to go back to being Mizukami Ryōichi.
It would be a lie to say that I have no regrets. Becoming a magical girl was an unavoidable choice to live in such a body, but there was definitely a desire to return to my original form, and not just for a living.
My family relationships are in shambles and I don’t have a single friend. I wasn’t the kind of person who could flatteringly say that I had a happy life. Still, there was something that had been built up. I didn’t want to lose that.
But if I said I could put my life on the line for it, that would be a lie.
I didn’t understand that day when I became a magical girl.
The horror of fighting and risking one’s life.
I may not be able to live the normal, ordinary life I have always lived.
It could be a journey full of hardship.
Still, it cannot be compared to the loss of life.
I don’t want to die, even if I have to live in this body with no dignity.
I don’t want to die.
「!…, again…」
The magiphone emits light with a rattling sound.
I can tell without looking at the displayed screen. It is a notification that a Diest appearance has occurred.
This is something I don’t need anymore. Just throw it away. That way, I don’t have to feel bad every time a Diest occurs like this.
I know that, but I still can’t get rid of it because I surely can’t forget what happened that day.
Friends for just one day.
The magical girl who saved me.
A girl with a dazzling smile and warm kindness.
After deciding never to fight again, I thought many times about destroying my magiphone.
But every time I do, I think of her face. Being a magical girl is my only connection to her. I’ve been given contact information, but I’m not talking about that kind of superficial connection. I couldn’t let go of the Magiphone, because I felt that when I let go of her and really became just a girl, I would completely lose the invisible, destiny-like connection with her.
Even though I desperately try to tell myself that it doesn’t matter, there is a part of me that just can’t take the plunge.
It’s not that I want to be friends with her now. Nor do I intend to break the admonition not to familiarize myself with magical girls.
But I just can’t let go of the magiphone, thinking that she will die while I am shivering and cowering, that she will be gone from this world.
I am afraid that that kind girl will be gone.
It’s ridiculous. I don’t keep in touch with them, I don’t intend to fight them myself, but I can’t get rid of my magiphone like a good luck charm.
I really can’t help it. I’m such an asshole.
Just forget about it.
The places I went with her that day, the things we played, the tears we shed.
Everything, pretend the whole thing never happened and I won’t have to worry about it anymore.
『——— —!』
It must have been about 10 minutes after I put the earphones in. I suddenly heard someone’s voice through a small gap.
For some reason I feel like if I don’t listen to it I will regret it, so I remove my earphones.
No more notifications were ringing in my ears, which hurt.
『Tyrant Sylph! What are you doing–ran! I know you’re mad at me–ran! But that’s not the point–ran!』
It was Jack. Jack’s voice can be heard over the magiphone.
When I woke up in my hospital room, Jack never showed up or contacted me after I yelled at him that I never wanted to see his face again.
Even if he didn’t know why, I guess he knew I was angry.
I don’t know if he was waiting for the dust to cool down or if he just didn’t want anything to do with me anymore.
Such is the impatient voice of Jack.
『It was a Marquis-class–ran! Hurry or you won’t make it in time-ran!』
My chest tightens as if my heart is being held in my hand, and my breathing becomes erratic.
It’s alright, it’s alright.
The Marquis class is a level of Diest that will require several Phase 2 magical girls or witches.
It’s true that a few magical girls around here would be too much to handle. But I know that myself. When a Diest over the Marquis-range appears, if there is no Magical Girl nearby who can defeat it, a Witch will be dispatched using a long-distance transfer device. Even if I don’t fight, that witch will eventually defeat it. I don’t have to fight.
I was about to put my earphones back on again to ignore Jack’s words when the next words I heard stopped me in my tracks.
『Elephant was fighting to buy time–ran! You can’t stay like this–ran! If you don’t hurry, it will be too late–ran!』
I found myself feeling bloodlust.
Yes. When I fought a bee-shaped Marquis-class before, a local magical girl was there to support me. I’d almost forgotten about those magical girls because they didn’t come to the forefront, but they were also stalling for time.
Jack’s story is probably true.
Elephant-san and the others are no match for the Marquis-class Diest. They must be fighting with the intention of buying time. But how long will that stalling last? Once the Diest realizes the Deception World, can’t it say they’re stalling for time? When will the witches come? Can they make it before then?
「Uh… uuh…」
It’s scary, scary, scary!
The pain in my chest and the intensity of my breathing are more intense than before.
I don’t want to fight anymore. I want to run away all the time.
I want to pretend I never heard anything and just cower like this.
「I can’t… it’s impossible…」
Tears appear at the corners of my eyes and my voice trembles.
The words that leaked out were so weak and small that I’m sure Jack didn’t hear them.
I know. If I didn’t go, there was a good chance they wouldn’t make it. That’s why Jack contacted me.
I’m scared because I know that. I’m sure I could take down the Marquis-class with ease. With a flick of my wand and some magic, that would be the end of it. I’m sure I do. Even Jack, no, I’m sure the other Magical Girls feel the same way. If only Tyrant Sylph would come…!
But not absolutely!
I could die in this fight, a fight that should have been so easy to win!
I never know what’s out there!
I never know what will happen! Last time I lost in a way I didn’t expect!
How can they say I won’t lose this time!?
Nothing is absolute!
When I fight, I put my life on the line!
It’s not that I don’t want to help. I’d like to help if I could.
But my legs are cowering and my body won’t stop shaking…! I can’t make a move!
I’m afraid to fight and I’m afraid to die! I’m even afraid of losing my mind!
But! But, if I stay like this…!
『You don’t have to come!!』
Its voice was more urgent than Jack’s, yet still full of tenderness.
I know that voice. I know the person who taught me to run away.
『Sylph-chan, you don’t have to come. We’ll take care of it.』
The moment I heard those words of reassurance, like comforting a baby, I couldn’t think of anything else.
I couldn’t say anything, I couldn’t hear anything, I just let my eyes wander around as if running away from something, and then I saw a stuffed elephant on the desk.
【We’re friends now, aren’t we!】
【You’re amazing, Sylph-chan! Sylph-chan’s a genius!】
【Hey! We must have had a blast!】
【Think of this elephant as me and take good care of it!】
【I wanted to help Sylph-chan. It doesn’t matter if there is fear or not, because the feeling is real.】
It might be easier if I could forget.
But there is no way to forget.
I had never had so much fun in my life.
Just remembering that day, the pain in my chest, the breathlessness, the shaking in my body, all of it, it all doesn’t bother me.
It doesn’t mean I’m no longer afraid.
I’m afraid to fight, to die, even to have this fear go away, all of it.
「Heaven and earth, everything…」
But… even so!
So much so that it doesn’t even matter!
I’m more afraid of Elephant-san dying!
I’ve been scared for a long, long time!
「Blow up to smithereens!!!!!!!」