The meeting of magical girls is underway.
“I will begin an emergency meeting now.”
In the conference room located in the Fairy Bureau within the Fairy Realm, Kaede’s voice echoes.
This meeting was convened on short notice, with attendees including Kaede, the Director of the Fairy Bureau, and the top-ranked magical girls from various countries.
A few members from the Magic Bureau are also present, though they remain silent due to the nature of the agenda.
Incidentally, the reason Kaede is acting as chairperson is because she can quiet down anyone who gets too loud by dropping a golden basin on them, and also because she was asked to do so.
The topic of discussion concerns the disappearances of top-ranked magical girls occurring across various countries.
So far, there have been five cases worldwide—this being the number of high-ranking individuals who have gone missing over the past two weeks.
If they were involved in accidents and perished, that would be unfortunate but understandable; however, their disappearance seems suspicious.
Should these top-ranked magical girls turn against everyone, it could become a major issue.
Fifty years ago, following the “Day of Beginning,” the scars left by monsters were immense. Only recently have signs of recovery started to appear, and the population has begun to gradually increase.
Though fewer people hunt monsters out of hatred nowadays, the number of magical girls doing so for money or fame has increased.
Additionally, there are problems such as collusion between magical girls and the Magic Bureau, conflicts among magical girls themselves, and factional disputes spanning national borders. However, compared to the current situation, those issues seem rather trivial.
“Based on the materials we’ve received, I’ve compiled this summary.”
Kaede summons documents for everyone and projects them onto a large monitor.
The information includes the rankings and names of the missing individuals, along with the last known dates and locations where they were seen.
Discussions proceed based on detailed information provided.
“Currently, we know very little, and no common factors have been identified. Nonetheless, the situation is not good.”
“May I interject for a moment?”
One of the attending magical girls raises her hand.
“What is it?”
“So far, there don’t seem to be any missing persons from Japan, but are you taking any countermeasures?”
“We aren’t implementing specific countermeasures yet, but aside from emergencies or holidays, we’re encouraging actions involving at least two people.”
Following the M·D·W incident, Kaede had advised other top-ranked individuals to avoid solo activities whenever possible. However, no one actually follows this advice. If anything, only the sixth-ranked person adheres to it.
“If someone could lend us some personnel, it would be greatly appreciated.”
“The allocation of personnel will have to come from areas that haven’t been affected yet. Japan will provide as much backup as possible.”
While lower-ranked monsters can be handled by anyone, once S-Rank monsters are involved, only top-tier magical girls or those of equivalent level can manage them.
With the requirement for safety measures involving at least two participants, manpower becomes scarce when trying to compensate for the missing top-ranked individuals. It’s a difficult task, but sharing the burden is necessary.
Without accurate information, nothing definitive can be decided. The meeting concludes with a call for mutual assistance, making it crucial for sharing information despite the lack of concrete conclusions.
“By the way, is it alright if we proceed with the New Demon War tournament scheduled for the end of this month?”
After the most pressing matters have been addressed, Kaede asks the attendees as a precautionary measure.
Even during emergencies, the tournament is important for new magical girls. Cancelling it would be painful for Kaede.
“Speaking of which, isn’t the magical girl known as Inny Flowering from Japan really a newcomer?”
That was something Kaede didn’t want to hear.
Still, she couldn’t ignore it.
“She’s a newcomer. You can confirm this by checking with the Fairy Bureau if you’re curious.”
“It seems like she defeated an S-Rank monster recently. Isn’t it inappropriate to let her participate in the New Demon War?”
“Regarding participation, that’s beyond my jurisdiction. She meets the entry requirements, so there shouldn’t be any issues.”
Every country wants to win the New Demon War, so they send their best magical girls and prepare accordingly. If one of the entrants has already defeated an S-Rank monster, controversy is inevitable.
The mood shifts from somber seriousness to tension akin to a balloon about to burst.
Primarily, Kaede is under attack, but others suspected of being impostors are also targeted.
Assuming the important discussions are over, representatives from the Magic Bureau and fairies quietly start leaving the room, leaving only the magical girls behind.
No one wants to stay near a ticking time bomb, especially since the Magic Bureau personnel are civilians who could easily die in any conflict.
“Please be quiet!”
When arguments break out everywhere, Kaede loses patience and drops golden basins on everyone to restore order.
“Hem. I understand your concerns, but all participants meet the entry requirements. While there may indeed be significant differences in strength, please accept what cannot be changed.”
“But can someone who can defeat an S-Rank monster truly be called a newcomer?”
Ultimately, that’s the core issue.
Japanese magical girls, having caused trouble in the past with individuals like Thalagong and Glint, are scrutinized more harshly.
“I understand your point. Therefore, I propose placing a handicap on her.”
Kaede knows how Inny will participate in the New Demon War after receiving details from Thalagong. She anticipated the possibility of criticism during this emergency meeting and planned to guide the conversation to make it seem like Inny willingly accepted an unreasonable handicap.
“A handicap? Isn’t that…”
“The announcement has already started, and changing participants now would invite criticism. Would you consider accepting a handicap instead?”
Kaede looks around at the magical girls and pauses slightly.
“Are you all familiar with Inny Flowering’s abilities?”
“Isn’t she restricted to using magic? And her weapon is a staff, right?”
“Yes. So first, I suggest banning the use of weapons.”
The other magical girls are surprised by Kaede’s statement. Though a handicap is expected, completely disallowing weapons seems excessive. These top-ranked individuals can distinguish between acceptable and unacceptable actions.
However, seeing their reactions, Kaede presses on.
The meeting already takes up valuable work time, and Kaede’s workload is piling up unnecessarily.
Unnecessary meetings should end quickly so Kaede can return home.
“How about adding a blindfold? As a rear-guard fighter, Inny should still be able to hold her own. Of course, externally, we’ll frame this as her voluntary choice.”
Using no weapon and wearing a blindfold sounds absurd. Some interpret it as a provocation from Kaede.
If another magical girl had proposed this handicap, it might have seemed humorous, but coming from Kaede, Inny’s mentor, it carries weight.
“…Is this handicap really appropriate?”
“No problem. Besides, with these measures in place, there won’t be any excuses later.”
Provoking retaliation.
If Inny loses under such handicaps, Japan’s reputation will be shattered.
Conversely, if Inny wins, it will demonstrate the uniqueness—and fear-inspiring nature—of Japanese magical girls to the world.
“In exchange, if we win, we’ll distribute some of our workload to all of you.”
Globally, Japan suffers the least damage from monsters, but receives low-priority tasks, leaving Kaede overwhelmed.
She aims to redistribute the workload and create some free time through this opportunity.
Kaede doesn’t believe Inny will lose regardless of the handicaps.
Initially, Thalagong devised a handicap involving only the staff, which Kaede wasn’t aware of. If that had been the case, Inny likely would have lost in the first round.
“If you insist, I’ll agree. Just don’t cry foul afterward.”
Lilium Knight, ranked first in America and most vocal against Kaede, accepts her proposal.
This sets off a chain reaction, with magical girls from countries sending participants agreeing with Kaede’s suggestion.
“With that settled, let’s look forward to the New Demon War.”
Thus concludes the unnecessary meeting held after the emergency session.
Kaede happily returns to her office, anticipating a lighter workload.
1
“How’s it going?”
“It’s progressing smoothly. The bodies have been disposed of, and the heads are preserved with Lockwert.”
While Kaede was in the meeting, the witch visited Rinne.
“Two in America, one each in China and Russia, and one in Miguria—a total of five.”
Five—the number of missing top-ranked individuals, and the number of magical girls hunted by Rinne and her group.
“Not bad. How about our losses?”
“No casualties since the operation in Japan. Still, that country is peculiar.”
During the Japan operation, Lockwert suffered injuries twice, and Shengxi once, but none of these injuries came from top-ranked individuals—they were all inflicted by Inie, an ordinary magical girl.
“Good. By the way, are you familiar with the New Demon War?”
“The simulation battles for rookie magical girls?”
“Yes. A wonderful event where adorable magical girls fight fiercely.”
The witch laughs joyfully and hands Rinne a piece of paper.
“…I see. So you plan to make a declaration at the New Demon War, where crowds gather, and stir up some chaos?”
“Yes. Since we’re about to step onto the stage anyway, and with a Demon present, there’s no need to wait longer.”
The existence of Arcana binds witches.
The fundamental rule set by the entity known as Arcana allows destruction only in worlds containing Arcana.
Since a Demon exists in this world, the witch no longer needs to wait.
“Will everyone participate?”
“That would be ideal. Let’s make it grand!”
“Understood. I’ll send out the call to everyone. Will we act during the finals?”
“Yes, let’s do that. Should we name our organization ‘Apocalypse Advocates’ again?”
Apocalypse Advocates.
A name casually coined by Rinne, and consistently used by every version of Rinne across different worlds.
To witches, the name doesn’t matter, but since Rinne uses it, they’ve adopted it.
“Yes, I use the same name elsewhere. It’s a fitting word to describe us.”
“The name doesn’t matter. Well, I’ll take my leave then.”
“Ah, before you go, one question?”
As the witch is about to vanish in a magical circle, Rinne stops her.
“What is it?”
“—What’s inside that hood of yours?”
The witch always wears a hood, keeping its interior pitch black. No one knows her true face.
Rinne hadn’t been curious about it until she met Inie, whose hooded appearance mirrored the witch’s, prompting her interest.
“…Do you really want to know?”
“Eventually, we’ll all head to the next world together. Might as well die without regrets.”
“Well, since we’ve known each other for so long, I suppose it’s fine.”
Slowly, the witch lifts her hood, revealing her true face to Rinne.
“…So that’s how it is. I see…my hypothesis was correct.”
Rinne’s eyes widen in surprise, and she bursts into laughter, finding something amusing.
Meanwhile, the witch disappears from the room, leaving Rinne alone.
“Such a small existence… me… you…”
