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Chapter 3
Chapter 1 — Blow all of heaven and earth to smithereens! • Episode 1-1 • Transformation ②
Translated by KaiesV
Edited by KaiesV
Holding my throbbing head, I looked at my phone and saw that the clock showed 7:00 AM in the morning. Compared to a time when I could not sleep at all, I am much better off, but my head still aches when I don’t sleep well. I would like to get rid of this insomnia for good, but so far there is no sign of a cure.
While lying on my bed, dozing off and looking at social networking sites, an article about magical girls came across my inbox. Normally I don’t pay much attention and just skim through the article, but today I was strangely curious and opened the article.
Nothing special, just an article introducing popular and strong magical girls, with a link to the official website of the magical girl at the end of the article.
I knew there was such a thing as an official website, but I had never looked at it. People are indifferent to things that do not interest them. Even magical girl games are just something I install to pass the time, not something I particularly like.
However, the impact of yesterday’s events was not light enough to be dismissed as a lack of interest. Somehow, I wanted to know about magical girls.
The website had a variety of contents, including an introduction page for magical girls, videos of them fighting monsters, and popularity contests. Some services are available for free, while others are available for a fee with membership registration, and they seem to be more dreamy and secular in their activities than I had expected.
Maybe it’s not impossible to have a theory that magical girls used to be ordinary girls. It is not impossible that they are paid to fight or something.
I looked at a sort of fan exchange forum, and they found Monarch Sprite-chan yesterday? There was a lot of excitement about a magical girl who had retired. Is there such a thing as retirement for magical girls?
As I went through the contents of the website, I searched for any information on yesterday’s magical girl, but I did not find anything that looked like it.
In the first place, it was too dark to get a detailed look, and the only clues were the area and time of day they were fighting. I thought I might be able to find it by looking for videos or bulletin boards, but all I found were posts that were not very productive or in bad taste.
So I watched videos and did searches, and before I knew it, an hour had passed. As expected, sleepiness has flown away, and I don’t feel like sleeping twice now. My body is lazy and I have a headache, but I’ll get up.
I brush my teeth, wash my face, and shave as usual. I don’t have plans to go out today, so I don’t need to fix my hair.
I finish my usual routine and look in the mirror as a final check.
A pumpkin with a face floated in the background.
When I turned around in surprise, the pumpkin changed its expression.
「Hello-ran! Mizukami Ryōichi! It’s Good morning-ran!」
He spoke clearly.
「Uwaaaaaaaaahhh!!」
Even when the bugs I hated came out, I didn’t scream, but at the same time I let out a pathetic scream that surprised even me and I fell off my back. I want to run away from this strange pumpkin monster, but I can’t move an inch.
「Wh–wh–what the hell!?」
I had no time at all to think about being a nuisance to my neighbors or anything like that early in the morning.
An unexplainable presence, somehow in my own house, a situation from which I could not escape. A number of factors intertwined, and panic set in.
「It is indeed disturbing to be scared that much–ran. I don’t take it and eat it–ran.」
「So what the hell are you!? Why the hell are you in my house!?」
「I am Jack! Magical Girl Scouting and Support–ran!」
「Ma–Magical Girl…?」
If someone’s asking me if I have any idea, I do. First of all, it was definitely that one yesterday. Perhaps have I seen something I shouldn’t have? Maybe I will have my memories erased.
I can see myself sweating coldly, my expression distorted with fear.
What did this strange being come for?
In contrast to my quietly delirious self, the pumpkin monster said, happily, as if it did not sense such tension.
「Mizukami Ryōichi, I want you to become a magical girl–ran!」
.
Since ancient times, this world has periodically produced distortions. The cycle is not 100 or 1,000 years, and since the dawn of history, mankind has never been directly confronted with the phenomenon.
But still, through witchcraft, sorcery, yin-yang-do, and all manner of power, mankind learned of the distortion. And they were convinced that it was this distortion that would eventually destroy them.
The destruction that would eventually come. A combat system created to counter that calamity.
That is, the Magical Girl.
The mission of magical girls is to defeat supernatural monsters that crawl out of distortion and save humanity from extinction.
Magical girls is not a role that just anyone can play. Only an unstable and innocent girl who has not yet reached adulthood can draw out its full potential, or even exceed the expectations of its designers.
Magical girls are the chosen heroes.
They are warriors with a mission to protect the world.
Without them, this world would simply await its destruction.
「Am I understanding this correctly?」
「It’s flawless–ran! That’s the kind of magical girl candidate I was looking for–ran!」
When I was asked to become a magical girl or some such nonsense, I immediately refused without giving it much thought. To begin with, I am not a woman, and even if I were a woman, I am not young already to be a girl. In other words, I was the opposite of a magical girl.
But Jack, the pumpkin-headed monster, did not give up. When I told him the reason for my refusal, he boldly stated that such a thing would not matter, and begged me to at least listen to what he had to say first.
To be frank, I had no intention of becoming a magical girl, no matter what he said.
On the other hand, I had my doubts about the existence of magical girls, and this situation was a godsend.
Jack would have no complaints if I refused after listening to him, since he asked me to at least listen to him.
With such calculation, this was the result of listening to Jack’s story for the time being. I don’t know if it’s a fundraiser or what, but it seems to have a very grandiose background for an activity that is surprisingly mundane.
I had no intention of becoming a magical girl, but the more I heard about it, the less I wanted to become one.
「Fighting to protect the world–ran! I’m not asking you to fight for nothing–ran! Magical girls receive various services based on their achievements–ran! You’ll even get paid–ran! Much more exciting and fun than working a normal job and living like a dead man–ran!」
「…Sorry, but I still won’t become a magical girl.」
「Why–ran? The world may be destroyed–ran!?」
「I know that it’s not good, but I don’t want to be the one who has to fight.」
A life of excitement and fun instead of risking one’s life. I guess some people find that kind of life appealing. Everyone thinks differently, and I have no intention of denying people who think differently than I do.
I just don’t like it. What do you think I got a stable job for? I don’t enjoy my current job at all, in fact I’m rather stressed and always want to quit. But I don’t have the slightest intention of seriously quitting.
I don’t want to live my life without a future. I don’t want to take a gamble with my life. I want to live my life walking on well-organized rails.
It is true that it may be less stimulating. It may be an uninteresting life, just living for the sake of living. But that’s fine with me. No, that was better.
「I just want to live a normal life.」
That’s all that matters.
「Ryōichi has an amazing talent–ran! There is no danger in being a magical girl–ran! It’s stable and profitable–ran!」
「I make enough to live on in my current job.」
It’s a low monthly salary, but a man living alone can just barely break even.
「These kids are fighting for their lives–ran! Does your heart doesn’t hurt–ran? If Ryōichi becomes a Magical Girl, the burden on other Magical Girls will be reduced–ran!」
「I appreciate it, but I don’t feel sorry for it. That is the child’s own choice.」
There could be any number of reasons why a girl with nothing to lose sought stimulation, a girl with nowhere to run sought strength, a lonely girl sought companionship, and so on.
Still, that was their own decision. The fact that Jack does not force me to become a Magical Girl without my consent is a sure sign that I cannot become a Magical Girl without my consent. They became magical girls of their own will. It’s absurd to feel sorry for them and try to help them.
「You’re not going to become a Magical Girl by any means, no matter what–ran?」
「Not at all.」
To show that I am serious, I will reject them without saying anything unnecessary. I’ll say it again and again.
「I will not become a Magical Girl.」
It’s too surreal as a line from an old man who has turned 30. And the tone of my voice is very serious. I didn’t think I would have more black history at my age.
「It’s unfortunate, but if that’s the way it is, I won’t blame you–ran. I’ll just give up for today, thinking it wasn’t a chance for me–ran. Ah, But if you change your mind, I’d be glad to hear from you via the form on the official website–ran.」
Really, Jack floats in the air with a look of heartfelt regret.
「Ahh, I’ll keep that in mind.」
Not until I forget.
「Then, farewell–ran!」
At the same time that voice rang out, Jack had disappeared.
The sound of the refrigerator driving and the air conditioner echoed in the room, which was now alone.
As usual, a boring holiday began, with only one person and nothing to do.
I was about to play a smartphone game to get rid of the lingering unusualness, but then I stopped.
Magical Girl Wars, which was originally a way to pass the time, and which I enjoyed to a certain extent. But I don’t think I can enjoy it with a pure heart anymore.
A game modeled after real-life magical girls. Every time I see the characters in this game, I will be bothered by the fact that these girls are fighting for their lives.
I uninstalled the game and opened the official website. There I will find a ranking of the popularity and battle record of magical girls. Not to mention popularity, it seems that battle record rankings are determined by the number and strength of monsters defeated. The top three are listed in order from top to bottom as「Lazy Lady,」「Discause,」and「Simeracres」along with a large, decalcomposed description and photo. The lower ranks seem to be just names.
The site allows users to support specific magical girls by purchasing paid points, and apparently the supported magical girls receive some kind of reward.
I bought points to support the top three in the battle ranking.
It would be a lie to say that my heart didn’t ache. But I still don’t want to be a magical girl.
So I hope that my support will at least help them a little.
That was the best I could do.