The Magical Girl and the Doomed Country
In an instant, the scenery changes from a conference room to a wasteland.
Even though we’re inside the barrier, the sky looks normal enough.
Well, we’ve successfully infiltrated the barrier without issues; let’s commence our actions.
“It’s safe to come out now.”
From the shadows, Nightmare steps forward but wears an expression of dissatisfaction.
“Are you really going alone?”
“Yes. Please do your best as well, Nightmare. More lives can be saved through your efforts.”
Approximately 30 minutes remain until the witch’s designated time. It might be like pouring water on scorched stones, but I’ll hunt down some monsters while I wait.
(“Do you think you can handle it?”)
“I’ll try, but it feels a bit beyond me. First, I’ll obtain the conditions for removal and then attempt to see if it can’t be undone.”
Despite making it easy for us to infiltrate, their protections seem solidly in place.
(“Understood. How is the distribution of the monsters?”)
“There are reactions all over the place. There are many near the urban areas, so we should take care of those first. And if you have any spare time, prioritize human lives above all else.”
Of course, that’s what you’d say, Demon. It’s troublesome, but if I refuse now, they’ll likely complain about this and that. Though I don’t feel much like doing it, I’ll at least give a response.
(“Roger. I’ll leave the teleportation to you.”)
Oh, I should probably inform Nightmare too.
“If you find yourself dying, call out. If possible, I’ll come to assist.”
“—I’ll be fine. Even I have my pride as a magical girl.”
“Is that so? Still, it would be unpleasant to wake up dead, so please don’t push yourself too hard.”
With that parting remark, I transfer away. She can move around within the barrier as well, so she should be fine.
Come to think of it, this is my first time coming to Australia.
I’ve traveled all over the world, but there weren’t many monsters here, so I never came for extermination missions before.
The witch must have been preparing for quite some time already. Normally, the country could have been destroyed outright without such games, but setting a time limit and erecting barriers were likely done to play with me.
The transfer finishes, and I spread my wings for movement. Just plain white ones will suffice for now.
“There are too many monster reactions, so I’ll send the map data directly into your head.”
Data… I see, so I won’t need to keep asking Demon every time. A map reminiscent of something from a game appears in my vision, but it’s clear and helpful. First, I’ll fly in the air and move toward where I can see the monsters.
On the map, red dots represent the monsters, but the upper portion of the map is almost completely red.
Their forms aren’t visible yet, but they’re already within sight.
A march of monsters—this is heading toward one of Australia’s main cities without a high-ranked magical girl present. It seems like we’d lose purely by numbers alone.
And even while moving, more monsters keep appearing. I eliminate them casually with magic, but it feels rather meaningless.
Still, leaving them alone would be bothersome.
“The number… is exactly as seen. Also, be mindful of environmental destruction as a precaution.”
We’re inside the barrier, but since it’s reality, using excessively powerful magic might not be wise.
(“Understood.”)
I use ice-based magic to deal with the ones that spawn, but how should I handle the large groups?
Dendrobium’s method would be quick, but it would create too many craters, so it’s unusable. Or maybe I should devise a new spell for this occasion.
Environmental destruction-level power is prohibited, meaning I can’t use spells that affect wide areas in a single shot.
To put it simply, grenades are banned, so let’s go with machine guns instead. Or, missiles aren’t allowed, so we’ll stick to machine guns.
Something sustained that can defeat one monster per spell casting. Since aiming would be tedious, I’ll add an auto-targeting function.
All that’s left is the incantation and the name…
“The birds that take flight shall fall to the ground. The grand flowers shall wither away. The plains will become lands of death, and water will transform into poison.”
Above my head, a ring of light appears, drawing multiple magical arrays akin to bits.
This ring serves as a computing device, manipulating the bits automatically to cast spells.
It’s a spell inspired by the one used by Arongante.
“Hope will crumble, and death will cover the world. Yearning for life, death shall become salvation.”
Though my white wings and glowing rings make the appearance somewhat peculiar, practicality dictates otherwise. I imagine Arongante and others are watching this state, but I pray they choose to ignore it.
“This recitation may not suit me, but it’s necessary to conserve magical energy. Using my staff as assistance makes the recitation sound incredibly middle-school-drama-like. Why is that?”
Vaguely… very vaguely, I have an idea of the cause.
However, discussing it now isn’t appropriate, so I’ll treat the tool as just that—a tool.
“One Elimination Squad”
A significant amount of magical energy is drained, but multiple bits fly toward the monsters.
The magic circle emits spells that don’t destroy the terrain, and the red dots on the map start disappearing.
Hovering in the air, I wait for my magical energy to recover, and after about five minutes, the first battle concludes.
(“Next.”)
“Sure thing.”
I repeat the transfers, eradicating the monsters systematically.
I delegate the clustered ones to the bits, handling the occasional spawns myself.
So far, the strongest ones are A-Rank, but who knows what will happen after the witch’s designated time…
Once S-Rank creatures appear, considerations for the environment or terrain won’t matter. At that point, it’s survival or death, so minor things will likely be forgiven.
Still, because of the sheer numbers, it’s not particularly interesting. Cutting each other down to the brink of death is what gets the adrenaline pumping.
I’m looking forward to when the time comes.
(“How’s Nightmare doing?”)
“The situation doesn’t look too good. It seems opinions are split into roughly three groups, and they’re arguing among themselves.”
(“Three groups… the Magic Bureau, magical girls, and civilians?”)
“Pretty much. Everyone’s panicking, so there’s no semblance of order. It’s like a zombie pandemic movie scenario.”
Given this state, it wouldn’t be surprising if monsters started spawning in the city. While I don’t care much personally, the people involved must be in utter chaos.
(“What’s the main issue?”)
“Well… first, there aren’t enough shelters, which has caused riots. Second, there’s a disagreement between the Magic Bureau and the magical girls. The magical girls want to save everyone, while the bureau aims for the best outcome given limited resources.”
Of course, uniting against the enemy is something you only see in anime. Due to the previous scandal involving the Magic Bureau, the magical girls harbor resentment and refuse to follow orders.
In a way, the bureau’s stance could be interpreted as abandoning unnecessary people.
It’s regrettable that there aren’t any veteran magical girls ranked highly enough to mediate.
Children tend to be idealistic, especially magical girls with powers. They probably believe they can help everyone, despite the impossibility.
“Some of the magical girls are dealing with civilian riots while others are trying to suppress the monsters, and the Magic Bureau is throwing everything they have at the problem, but coordination seems non-existent. Teleportation and communication within the barrier are possible, but this situation is dire! Oh, and apparently, destroying the barrier isn’t an option.”
Why does Demon sound slightly delighted? This is truly problematic. So, the barrier remains intact.
Considering command structure… consolidating the Magic Bureau, aligning the highest-ranked remaining magical girl, and addressing the civilians and monsters from there seems ideal. But… fine, I’ll lend a hand momentarily.
Time is short, but I have a method.
I dissolve the bits and the light rings I had deployed.
(“Demon. Send me to Nightmare’s location. Preferably somewhere inconspicuous.”)
“You’re helping after all, huh? Got it.”
“Although I understand, there aren’t enough people! We must choose what we can achieve. Why can’t you understand that?”
“But that doesn’t mean we can abandon people! We can’t give up just because it’s difficult!”
“That’s why I’m saying listen! Moving separately achieves nothing, don’t you get that?”
As I transfer, I hear the angry voices of Nightmare and others. They seem to be holding a meeting…
(“What’s the situation?”)
“They’re the deputy director of the Australian Magic Bureau headquarters and the 25th-ranked magical girl in Australia. Names aren’t important, right?”
I see. I’ve grasped the general flow of the conversation, so let’s get to work.
“Hey! Who are you?”
I intentionally stomp to alert the fools of my presence.
“You must be Inny Flowering, correct? Thank you for eliminating the monsters. I’ve heard from Nightmare, but I’d prefer to return to hunting monsters sooner rather than later…”
The director’s face darkens upon recognizing me, which is understandable.
My presence here means the monsters are multiplying unchecked, causing more damage.
The magical girl glares at me, but shouldn’t she be more grateful?
“To save time, I’ll be blunt. Follow me, or I’ll abandon everyone.”
“Even if you weren’t here, plenty of magical girls still exist in Australia! Besides…”
“Bah! Calm down! Can’t you see from the footage? Defeating that quantity of monsters is impossible. Moreover, you know you can’t match Inny Flowering!”
Another argument ensues… Nightmare looks apologetically at me, but I hope she’ll persist a little longer.
“Hush. If I don’t receive an answer within ten seconds, I’ll leave. Furthermore, if anyone objects, I’ll leave immediately. Ten… eight… five…”
“Alright! We at the Magic Bureau will follow you. Please, protect the country!”
“—We’ll follow you too.”
Now, this should suffice for now.
“I won’t tolerate backtalk. Nightmare, I leave the rest to you. Feel free to retreat if anything goes awry.”
“That’s right. If you fail to comprehend the current danger, considering abandonment might be prudent.”
Nightmare is a ranker, after all.
If they disregard her reputation and the documents prepared by Arongante, cutting ties early would be acceptable.
Still, even if everyone dies, I’ll fight until the end. Abandoning such an enjoyable playground is unthinkable.
“Then, if we survive, we’ll meet again.”
Before transferring again, let me drive home a point.
“Excuse me, you there.”
“What?”
“Stop dreaming and face reality. There are far more people in this world who cannot be saved.”
Without waiting for a reply, the transfer begins.
The map once again displays widespread red dots representing the monsters, but let’s clear them out efficiently. There’s about three minutes until the designated time, so it should be manageable.
(“Demon, I’ll use a major technique, so bear with me.”)
“Ah, so there’s a method like this, huh?”
Demon sounds intrigued upon reading my thoughts.
Good, if they understand.
First, I release the Fool’s power to restore my magical energy.
Then, I expand the map to show the entire continent of Australia.
The orb handles the processing, so it’s manageable, but under normal circumstances, the influx of information would either cause nosebleeds or make my head explode.
Considering the terrain adds unnecessary steps.
The orb ascends into the sky, spinning slowly now.
“Target locked. No issues with magical energy supply. Terrain protection complete. Deploying magic circle.”
A magic circle far larger than the one used during M·D·W spreads across the sky instantly.
A mild sense of intoxication washes over me, but it’s just a brief endurance test.
“Threads of the Fool”
Ice spears rain down from the magic circle, reducing the monsters to dust.
Eliminating all of them might be impossible, but most of the current monsters should be defeated by this.
Buildings and shadowed areas are out of range, but breaking structures isn’t an option, so let’s rely on their efforts for those spots.
After confirming the magic’s completion, I switch from the Fool to White Mage.
Then, the designated time arrives.
“Multiple irregulars detected. Each has the power to destroy this country.”
Right on time, monsters appear. Their multiplicity is partly to taunt me but also to render the country uninhabitable.
Depending on the strength of these irregulars, one could destroy a nation or even submerge a continent beneath the sea.
“Multiple servants are appearing… Haruna!”
A sinister magical force distorts space, and a magical girl appears.
Her brash attitude from our first encounter is gone, replaced by cautious, slow steps.
She carries the Azure Dragon Saber and a shield, her flowing attire blending elements of Chinese and Japanese styles…
Shengxi reappears.
