Punishment of the Magical Girl’s Iron Fist
“It’s been a while, hasn’t it?”
(Can I even run away?)
“It’s not impossible to escape, but considering my limits, it might be better to give up… hmpf!”
This doesn’t seem like something that will be resolved easily.
Well, it’s painful just to open my eyes, and fighting is definitely too tough…
As I’m pondering what to do, Nightmare steps forward as if to shield me.
“Who exactly are you people! If you’re planning to harm Inie, ranking 8th place Nightmare will take care of you—ouch!”
Nightmare rushed in, so I silenced her with a staff strike.
“You’d better not start a fight. You’re dealing with one of Japan’s top-ranked individuals.”
Nightmare glared at me resentfully while holding her head, then looked closely at the two people before her, her blood draining away.
“The Blaze Princess and the Oni God…”
Though obscured by the backlight, it seems she finally recognized them.
One of them is… no, not infamous, but rather a world-renowned magical girl.
Incidentally, she also happens to be my guardian.
Isn’t the Oni God ranked third? Her name is Magical Girl Momodouji, right?
I remember she mainly handles designated extermination targets.
They don’t seem to have an attacking aura, but what’s going on?
“Don’t worry. The suspicion of Inie being a designated extermination target has been cleared, so everything is fine.”
What does that mean?
“Evidence of collusion between the Magic Bureau and the witch has come to light. Thus, it was judged that the suspicion of Inie being an ally of the witch was intentionally fabricated by the Magic Bureau. Moreover, most of the upper echelons of the Magic Bureau are dead, so they have other things to worry about now.”
(Did you know about this?)
“No, I didn’t know it had gone this far, though I was aware something was off with the Magic Bureau’s movements.”
“What happened?”
“According to what I heard from Arongante, it seems the upper echelons of the Magic Bureau were cornered and summoned a monster. Everyone got caught up in it and died.”
Well, the higher-ups of the Magic Bureau seemed like they would spill out all sorts of dirt if pressed.
Probably they were told it was the witch’s last-ditch effort and received an item to summon a monster.
And in the end, everything went to waste.
Are they stupid or what?
“I understand the situation, but you didn’t come here just to tell me this, did you?”
If it was just to inform, there are methods like emails or calls.
There’s no need for you to show up in front of me personally.
Or maybe it was a coincidence, but could such a coincidence really exist?
—Wait, perhaps the possibility of searching for Nightmare exists.
“To be honest, we came regarding this matter concerning Nightmare, but it was truly fortunate.”
Of course. That makes sense. So, is Taragong’s presence here a coincidence?
My luck is bad….
Now, how should I address this person?
Calling Momotoko “Peach Princess” sounds awkward.
And for some reason, there’s an atmosphere similar to Mika.
Both have Japanese-sounding names, so there must be some connection, right?
“Me? I haven’t done anything, as far as I know.”
“We suddenly received a search request because your reaction disappeared. It was hard to refuse, so I reluctantly accepted it, but it turned out to be good timing.”
Could it be that the help thing got exposed?
The dark magical girl who was supposed to be here is gone, and instead, I’m here.
I don’t know who asked, but I can only pray that they didn’t reveal my identity.
Thalagong approaches me with a cheerful smile, but as she gets closer, the pressure I feel gradually increases.
I want to run, but I don’t have enough energy left to move my body.
“…What is it?”
“Hmph!”
Thalagong’s fist comes down on my head, and I lose consciousness along with the pain.
It wasn’t unbearable pain, but I was already at my limit.
Just before losing consciousness, I thought I saw Thalagong’s sad face.
1
“Alright, let’s withdraw!”
“Just a moment!”
Thalagong, carrying the unconscious Inie, tried to leave immediately, but Nightmare stopped her.
Can we just let Inie, who is technically our lifesaver, go like this?
Knocking someone out isn’t an acceptable action. We can’t trust Inie to someone like that.
Such conflict arose.
“Ah, well… since this person is technically Inie’s guardian, there’s nothing to worry about.”
“…Guardian?”
The strength leaves Nightmare’s body.
If she’s the guardian, it’s not strange for her to hit Inie on the head with a knuckle.
Still, despite everything, Inie was targeted worldwide by magical girls and was running away.
Just when the suspicions were cleared and we thought we’d finally met again, she looked like she was about to collapse.
Being a guardian, there’s no point in getting angry.
“What will happen to Inie?”
“After showing her to Jeanne, the recovery magic specialist, probably a lecture? She ran around without contacting anyone, after all.”
Actually, it was due to the demon not informing Inie about the communication, but no one knows that fact.
“And, Strauf is worried, so hurry back.”
“My master?”
“Yes. Even though it’s another country, we couldn’t refuse the request from the number one. Got it? Hurry back.”
Thalagong waved her hand dismissively, shooing Nightmare away.
This time, the search request for Nightmare was issued by Strauf.
Last time, the timing was bad, and they couldn’t pinpoint her location, but this time, they constantly tracked and monitored Nightmare’s movements.
Although the actual operation was conducted by the Magic Bureau, when Strauf learned that the response had disappeared, he requested help from an expert in designated extermination species.
That expert was none other than the Oni God, Momodouji.
Strauf himself wanted to go to help, but he didn’t have the spare time.
Momodouji was in the same situation, but since it’s troublesome for us if the number of top-ranking fighters decreases, she reluctantly accepted the request.
However, it was reckless to send someone alone given the possibility that the opponent might be a nihilist.
So, they contacted the Russian Magic Bureau to send reinforcements, but then Thalagong called out to stop them.
“I’ll go.”
That’s what she said.
To Momodouji, it was better to go with a known magical girl rather than some random one.
But Momodouji didn’t understand why Thalagon accepted this request until it was over.
Whether it was a magical girl’s intuition or a woman’s intuition, either way, finding Inie was a blessing for Momodouji as well.
Just as Momodouji was about to return with Thalagong, she remembered something important.
“Oh, I almost forgot. What exactly happened inside?”
The barrier held firm even against a serious attack from a top-ranked fighter.
It was different from the usual barriers set up by the Fairy Bureau, and both Thalagong and Momodouji could only wait.
In reality, Momodouji transformed into Enhanced Form and prepared to unleash an even more powerful strike, but Thalagong stopped her.
Even if the barrier broke, the aftermath could blow away part of the territory, potentially causing diplomatic issues.
While completing the mission is important, overdoing it isn’t good either.
And if the stories were true, by the time Thalagong and Momodouji arrived, Nightmare might have already been killed.
But as they waited, the barrier never lifted, leaving them wondering what was happening. Finally, the barrier dissolved.
However, Momodouji tilted her head in confusion.
According to the information, there was supposed to be only one person, Nightmare, but there was another person present.
The other magical girl leaned on Nightmare and appeared to be exhausted.
Though difficult to see due to the reflected sunlight, it seemed to be a petite magical girl draped in a white robe.
“She’s found.”
When Thalagong muttered that, Momodouji recalled a certain magical girl.
A magical girl designated as an extermination species by the Magic Bureau, but later revealed to be a fabrication by the bureau, leading to the cancellation of the bounty.
Currently, the main focus is on lost children searches led by Arongante, but due to mistaken appearance reports, she hasn’t been found yet.
Her name is Magical Girl Inny Flowering.
A rookie magical girl possessing power equal to or greater than the top-ranked fighters.
She’s also Thalagong’s younger sister.
“That unconscious person, Ayame… Inie, and the monster extermination were interrupted by Orneas, a nihilist.”
Nightmare summarized the events that had just occurred.
Orneas’ sudden assault and the fierce battle with M.D.W.
While trying to obscure Ayame’s involvement, the two listeners watching silently became increasingly skeptical by the time the story ended.
“What do you think?”
“Forty percent of that is a lie. However, it seems to be for their sake rather than yours.”
Hearing that, Nightmare panicked internally but knew that saying something foolish would only make things worse.
The pressure felt during this conversation was different from the battle earlier, and cold sweat trickled down her cheek.
“I… It’s not a lie! Please believe me!”
Caught in the act of lying, Nightmare hesitated.
Since Inie had instructed her not to talk about it, it was necessary to weave lies into the narrative.
However, it’s partly because the opponents were formidable, but mostly Nightmare’s fault across various aspects.
Nightmare is bad at lying and is an honest, good-hearted child.
“At least defeating one nihilist doesn’t seem like a lie. We can hear the details from Inie later. Let’s go home for now.”
“That’s right. Nightmare, go back to Strauf quickly. Farewell.”
Thalagong and Momodouji returned to the Fairy Realm using a simple teleportation device for top-ranked fighters.
Left behind, Nightmare stood dazed for a moment before realizing the situation and making a disgruntled expression.
Despite having only known Inie for a day, they had fought together risking their lives.
Even though she was Inie’s guardian, taking her away so abruptly felt cruel.
But chasing after them wasn’t an option.
An emergency situation required reporting the incident.
Though tempted to chase after them, she restrained herself and prepared to use the simple teleportation device when her terminal rang.
“Hello?”
“Ah, thank goodness. You’re safe.”
It was Strauf.
From her tone, it was clear she was genuinely worried, but a shadow of resentment crept into Nightmare’s heart.
After all, the targeting of Nightmare’s life was due to Strauf and the Magic Bureau.
But agreeing to become ranked eighth was ultimately Nightmare’s decision.
Even if she couldn’t refuse, the final responsibility rested with the individual magical girl.
Complaining to Strauf wouldn’t change anything.
Suppressing her emotions, she took a deep breath.
“Yes. A lot happened, but I was saved—”
Speaking of which, how should I explain about Ayame?
The Russian Magic Bureau confirmed Ayame’s appearance through video footage.
Because she was an unregistered magical girl, Strauf had been upset during a lunchtime call about her associating with such a magical girl.
Now Ayame is gone, and inexplicably, Inie is present.
Saying something inappropriate could break the promise made with Inie.
“Why did you suddenly go quiet?”
“Na… It’s nothing. Anyway, I need to report, so where are you now?”
Nightmare decided to put Ayame’s matter on hold and buy some time.
“I’m currently in the Fairy Realm’s office. Do you remember the location?”
“Of course, I remember. I’ll come over now.”
The facilities for top-ranked fighters are vast, but generally, teleporters are used to reach assigned locations in various countries, so there’s no risk of getting lost.
But what would happen if someone unfamiliar with the layout entered the facility and moved around without using the teleporter?
Teleportation is possible, but to prepare for emergencies, movement within the facility by foot is also allowed.
Thus, occasionally, there are cases of people getting lost or disappearing.
Nightmare once got lost herself.
Crying while wandering, she was found by Strauf, and while it worked out that time, Strauf often teases her about it.
For Nightmare, it’s an embarrassing past, but thanks to that encounter, she became Strauf’s disciple.
“Well, that’s good. I’ll be here for about an hour, so please come early,” Strauf said and ended the call.
Nightmare managed to buy some time and began thinking about how to excuse herself.
Saying something wrong could lead to revealing Ayame’s identity.
With thoughts of the report looming, she had little time to think.
Using the simple teleportation device, she arrived at the entrance of the top-ranked fighters’ exclusive facility.
All that remained was to use the facility’s teleporter to reach the office, but she couldn’t think of any excuses.
Before she knew it, she had reached the door to Strauf’s office.
Knocking on the door, a reply came from within.
“Excuse me.”
Wiping the sweat from her brow, she reached for the door handle.
Right now, the excuse from the notoriously bad liar, Nightmare, is about to begin…
“This idiot!”
“Ungh!”
It didn’t even start.
Upon opening the door, Strauf was waiting and immediately brought her fist down on Nightmare’s head.
“How many times have I told you not to take such reckless actions! What would you have done if you had died?!”
“…I’m sorry.”
Seeing Strauf’s concerned expression, Nightmare sincerely apologized.
“Really, you’ve always been reckless, impulsive, and stubborn, refusing to listen to advice…”
Strauf continued her lengthy lecture, and initially, Nightmare listened humbly, but as the content shifted to lifestyle habits and past incidents, she chose to remain silent.
Interrupting would only extend the lecture, a lesson Nightmare had learned the hard way.
However, this lecture seemed to drag on endlessly, and time passed quickly.
“Um…”
“Ah? Oh yes, we were supposed to discuss your report. Since we’re running late, please summarize it in a written document later. Above all, please avoid reckless actions.”
“Yes.”
Nightmare was supposed to deliver the report, but due to Strauf’s lecture, her available time ended, sparing her from reporting on the spot.
Though grateful for avoiding the immediate report, Nightmare still felt unsatisfied.
Meanwhile, while preparing to leave, Strauf continued nagging like a mother, advising Nightmare to rest today and sending her out of the office.
Nightmare headed to her own office and begrudgingly wrote the report.
