Magical Girl and the Missing Arcana
I dimly became aware that I was conscious.
…Ah, though we won in the battle, did I die from overexertion?
Even in death, I still have awareness.
However, where am I now?
This place is different from where I met Arcana and NigoShiro; there’s nothing around me.
There’s just an endless expanse of white space.
When I absentmindedly looked at my hands, they were small and familiar.
I thought that upon dying, I would return to my original body, but why am I still in the form of a girl?
I’m wearing clothes, but it’s just a white dress, and my feet are bare.
Though I must be standing, so there should be a floor… what should I do…?
For now, I started walking aimlessly, but I couldn’t see any changes.
Though I don’t feel tired, the unchanging scenery is starting to get to me.
If this continues without change, I might lose my mind.
As I was considering stopping for a moment, the white room transformed into an expansive flower field under a blue sky.
It doesn’t make sense, but it seems like I’m not alone here.
There’s no way this happened by chance; someone must have done this intentionally.
“Is anyone there?”
I decided to call out first.
Being suddenly approached from behind or having someone appear right in front of me isn’t good for my health.
“I am indeed here. And sorry about that. Though I didn’t want to meet you under such circumstances, is this our first meeting?”
—Unexpected, I suppose. According to Demon… Ah, since I’ve died too, it makes sense.
But something feels strange. Now that I think about it, this person is taller and more developed than my current self.
It’s completely different from the smooth, undeveloped body I have now.
“This is the first time we’re meeting face-to-face. So, where exactly are we?”
“Just before the afterlife. A temporary time like a fleeting memory. Before crossing the River of Three Paths. The bottom of dreams… something like that. The landscape is merely based on a place I liked during my lifetime.”
The flower field feels romantic, but as a man, it’s somewhat awkward.
Also, if what Demon said is true, this person should still be young, yet they don’t look like a girl at all.
Well, maybe I shouldn’t worry about that.
There are more pressing matters concerning myself to deal with.
“I see. Then shall I call you Robe-Stealing Hag… Ow!”
I got hit on the head.
At the mention of the River of Three Paths, I thought of the Robe-Stealing Hag, but she does have a reason to be upset.
“Stop saying nonsense and listen. We don’t have much time.”
“Even so, I don’t think there’s anything we can do from that state, is there?”
I’m not sure about the exact condition, but my eyesight was gone, and while my body still had human shape, the insides were a mess.
My bones and flesh were minced together.
Even if Jeanne were here, wouldn’t it be impossible?
“Why are you so calm? You’ll really die like this, you know?”
“What do you seek?”
“Yes. Since I am you, and you are me. Even Demon knows your true nature. That’s why I don’t understand why you’re so calm.”
Even if you say you don’t understand, knowing someone’s thoughts is one thing, but truly understanding their heart is impossible.
Besides, it’s fine even if I die. Not being able to fulfill the contract is regrettable, but that’s just my limit.
I’m not so childish that I can’t accept death.
“If I’m going to die, let me die. If I can live, let me live. I have no complaints about the result… Why are you hitting me?”
Demon didn’t talk much, but I thought magical girls were supposed to be full of compassion when thinking about the end. Instead, she seems more like a bar mom.
“Stop saying foolish things and listen. Wouldn’t you still want to live if you could?”
“Well, I’d rather live than die, but is there anything we can do?”
I’m mince meat; it’s like making hamburger patties by kneading and adding filler.
“It wasn’t prepared specifically for such cases, but there is a way.”
The older version of me started searching for something in the empty space.
By the way, what should I call her?
I knew what she looked like, but she never told me her name.
“What should I call you?”
“Eh? Oh, my name. Unfortunately, I paid it as part of the price, so I can’t tell you. Call me whatever you like. Hmm… where did I put it…?”
She said I could call her anything, but if I give her a weird name, she’ll probably hit me again…
My top choice would be “Pochi,” but I’ll never say it out loud.
Anyway, I probably won’t meet her again, so I don’t need to think too hard about it.
Flower field… blue sky… hmm. It’s cliché, but this fits best.
“Alright then… Can I call you Sora?”
“Anything works. Ah, finally found it.”
When Sora pulled her hand out, something bound with chains came out with it.
What is this?
“What is that?”
“It’s Arcana’s lover, captured just in case. By the way, your occasional emotional instability was probably due to this person.”
This is quite an unexpected development. How did you capture Arcana…?
Didn’t Demon and NigoShiro say that Arcana had decreased in number and was hard to find?
So, there’s Demon, Sora, and Hermes inside me… Or rather, inside Sora’s body.
Sora is the landlord, and the others are tenants, I suppose?
Although I technically have control over the body.
“Why is it chained up?”
“Let me clarify: this person was originally parasitic on you, and I just made sure they didn’t escape. So stop looking at me like I’m some kind of pervert.”
Me?
“What do you mean?”
“I don’t have time to explain everything, but when you transferred into my body, Hermes was there for some reason. I caught and sealed her, but I couldn’t seal her completely.”
I knew from Fool’s case that people could arbitrarily parasitize or fuse with others, but did it start when I was male?
“Do you know why?”
“I sealed her with chains the moment I found her, so I don’t know. Anyway, I’ll release the seal on her head for now.”
The chains clattered and fell, revealing Hermes’ face.
Her orange hair was cut short for a woman, and her fiery red eyes… although the color suggests passion, her aura is heavy and gloomy.
“…Hello?”
“Why the question mark? Come on, vomit out why you’re inside him and lend us your power.”
“I don’t mind lending power. But why did Shiro turn into a girl? It would have been better if he stayed as Shiro…”
I didn’t want to become like this either, but back then, there was no other choice.
“Blame Demon for your complaints. So, why were you fused with me? It’s meaningless since you can’t make a contract with a man.”
Hermes is full of mysteries and doesn’t make sense.
If only I had asked Demon about her personality while resting.
“I didn’t intend to fuse with you either. However, it was her last wish. Moreover, without Demon doing such a thing, Shiro wouldn’t have died.”
What do you mean? When I looked at Sora, she looked guilty.
“The lover governs ‘form.’ They can transform or restore forms. So, if the lover used their ability, those injuries should have healed. What Demon did was steal that opportunity.”
“I tried to heal secretly after you lost consciousness, but the thievery cats…?”
Using the ability requires magic power, so how did you plan to do it?
Or was there a way to use the ability without being noticed by NigoShiro or the other Arcanas?
Hermes glared at Sora, who quickly averted her gaze.
Now I understand the reason for this gloomy atmosphere, but who is the “her” Hermes mentioned?
“So, I understand that I became a useless magical girl, but who is the ‘her’ Hermes mentioned?”
“Shiro’s sister. On her deathbed, she worried about me and Shiro, refused for me to use my abilities, and requested that Shiro not go berserk. But…?”
Why the meaningful blush on your cheeks?
“And please remove the physical restraints. I waited deliberately without using my powers, so figure it out. Thief cat.”
“I get that you’re resentful, so stop talking about it. Sealing you without hearing the reasons was wrong, and ultimately, it’s all Demon’s fault, isn’t it?”
All the chains binding Hermes disappeared, and she performed a light stretch.
Wings similar to the ones I often use grew from her back, but perhaps I unconsciously modeled my wings after hers?
“There are various tangents, but I don’t want Shiro to die, so I will help. Still, healing Shiro in his current state is difficult. Even I struggle to turn hamburger meat back into pork. With a contract, I believe it can be healed relatively easily, but what do you think? Honestly, there aren’t many options anyway.”
That’s a very clear analogy.
A contract… From what I heard from Demon, the adverse effects of overlapping contracts are unknown… In Fool’s case, Demon transferred their abilities, so it’s a contract, but it’s slightly different.
“By the way, what happens if the contract succeeds?”
“Just consider it as having another Demon. Well, I won’t be as noisy as a thief cat. I’ll mostly stay quiet.”
I get it. The neighboring Sora is shrinking.
Normally, I should be the one to get angry, but she’s taking my place.
Despite the accumulation of misfortunes, I was simply dragged into becoming a magical girl.
I still have many honest questions for Hermes, but she smells the same as Marin.
Getting involved carelessly could lead to irreparable situations.
“What are the costs for recovery before and after the contract?”
“Hmm… Without a contract, it would be both arms or both legs, or both eyes. I’ll alter the memory so it seems you were born that way, and recovery magic won’t work. If the contract is successful, the thief cat will pay, so Shiro doesn’t need to worry.”
The gap between contracting and not contracting is significant.
Governing form… The resources needed to restore form are one of the items mentioned earlier, I suppose.
“Why from Sora?”
Hermes fixes Sora with a dampened gaze.
“Maybe you haven’t explained anything to him? If you keep being dishonest with Shiro, I have my own plans.”
“We’ll talk later. For now, I think it’s better to decide what to do! We really don’t have much time!”
You evaded the question…
You’re giving me a choice, but realistically, it’s a single option.
“Let’s make the contract. Even if I survive, if I can’t fight, I won’t be able to live the life I desire.”
“Understood. Well, even if problems arise and we die, everyone dies together. If I die with Shiro, I have no regrets.”
Hermes took my right hand and gently kissed the back of it.
Unlike when I was with Demon, this time, a pain like having my nerves ripped out spread through my entire body.
Something kept connecting and disconnecting, and the pain gradually subsided.
I probably won’t die, but it was a pain that made me want to die.
“Are you alright?”
“Yes. Various sensations are off, but I don’t seem to be dying.”
My body is practically a corpse, but mentally, I’m fine.
Hermes nodded several times and suddenly hugged me tightly.
“Not at all, you troublesome siblings. I don’t ask anything of Shiro. I just want him to live however he likes.”
“What will Hermes do afterward?”
“I’ll supervise here to ensure the thief cat doesn’t do anything further. There’s no need for me to come out unnecessarily.”
Hermes moved away from me and positioned Sora in front of me.
Come to think of it, she said something earlier…
“Hurry up and say it.”
“I know. Well, you haven’t grown physically much, right? The reason is that I’ve been appropriating part of it. You see, I was supposed to die, but when you entered my body, my consciousness somehow awakened…?”
Summarizing her torrent of excuses, my consciousness awakened despite being dead, and after contemplating whether to disappear or remain, I decided to stay due to Hermes’ situation.
However, even in a conscious state, living requires food…nutrition was necessary.
Initially, I was sneaking around, but when I accidentally took more nutrients from you and realized it affected your growth, ambitions arose within Sora.
Since I ended my life as smooth-stone, I wanted to grow properly and become well-endowed…
Though she understands basic manners, she hasn’t harmed my health, but my growth has stopped because of Sora.
Personally, I don’t particularly mind, but this would typically provoke anger.
Incidentally, regarding muscle strength, the cause remains unclear.
Physically, this state is acceptable, but I’d like to improve in terms of strength.
Since I don’t blame Sora for this matter, I conveyed that to her.
In fact, while discussing it, I suddenly had an idea.
“To confirm, using Hermes’ ability, is it possible to switch my body with Sora’s?”
“Probably yes. However, we’ll do it after the thief cat regains growth. This time, we’ll use the portion stolen until now as compensation, so the thief cat will shrink back to being tiny. It won’t be possible for a month.”
I see. Using the portion stolen to heal the body.
“Time is almost up, so we’re returning. If you need us, strongly think about me or the thief cat, but since Demon is bound to be annoying, try to call when they’re not around. Good luck.”
Hermes grabbed Sora’s arm, and a magic circle appeared beneath Sora’s feet. White light overflowed from Sora and was absorbed into me.
Simultaneously, my consciousness began to fade, and as Sora’s light settled, a girl identical to my current self stood there, looking disgruntled.
“You probably didn’t hear most of it, but I can’t return Shiro’s body to its original male form. The soul perceives the current form as normal. Though I assume you don’t intend to revert, I’ve informed you just in case.”
Before I could respond, my consciousness faded, and I woke up.
I can clearly feel my senses, and I perceive magic power circulating through my body.
The sound of battle reached my ears; someone is fighting nearby.
I’m not sure how long I was unconscious, but lying here amidst wandering monsters could have easily led to real death anytime.
Ignoring the discomfort, I stood up and saw blood staining the ground red.
Yet my robe remained pristine, with hardly any stains.
Despite losing blood, I feel no fatigue associated with low blood levels.
Rather, I feel quite good physically.
I can fight immediately.
And I should probably discuss this with Demon later.
I never expected one of the Arcanas to have been parasitizing me all along.
I understand why my sister didn’t contract with Hermes, but selfishly, I wish she valued herself more than the world.
“Haruna!”
“Inie!”
…Why is Marin here?
