The magical girl was found.
Where am I?
I had fallen asleep on a park bench after undoing my transformation, but somehow, I’ve ended up lying in a bed.
When I sit up and look around, I can see school uniforms and desks.
(Demon?)
…There’s no reaction. Perhaps I’m still exhausted from using my powers?
I don’t know how long I’ve been sleeping, but my body still feels terrible.
Honestly, it’s even exhausting to sit up.
However, staying too long in someone’s house whom I don’t know isn’t a good idea.
Let’s just escape for now.
While wobbling, I get out of the bed and head towards the door.
At that moment, the doorknob turns.
The door opens, and an unfamiliar girl walks in.
“Oh, you’re awake? Are you feeling well enough to sit up?”
“I’m fine. Excuse me, but I’ll take my leave.”
Though I appreciate being able to sleep in a bed, I don’t want to stay in this girl’s house.
As I lightly bow to express my thanks, I almost collapse.
Because of losing too much blood, I can’t properly muster strength in my body.
“Hey! In what condition are you trying to go somewhere? Just lie down!”
Just as I’m about to fall, the girl supports me and takes me back to the bed.
Even if I wanted to resist, I can’t with my current state.
“Hmph. I brought you here because I found you collapsed in the park, but do you have a home? What about your parents?”
She asks questions one after another, but I don’t know how to answer…
I’m not sure how I’m being treated as Inny Flowering.
Although I escaped, since there hasn’t been any surface issue, I think it should be fine, but who knows what trouble my bad luck might bring…
“Welcome back~. Since something happened, I’ll let some information flow. Here we go!”
A pain like being hit runs through my head, and information flows in.
…This is ridiculous.
I haven’t done anything wrong, have I?
“…Are you starting to feel unwell? Are you alright?”
Oops, I got flustered by the situation.
It’s probably better to refrain from revealing my real name.
I didn’t expect to be wanted.
Name… Name…
“I’m fine. My name is Fūru. Thank you for letting me rest in your bed.”
“That’s right. I’m Takahashi Tamaki. Is there anyone we can contact?”
“…No.”
Technically, Thalagong is acting as my guardian, but I currently can’t reach them.
Moreover, it might not be wise to transform into a magical girl right now.
I borrowed my alias from the Fool.
“…That’s so. Why were you collapsed in the park? You clearly don’t look well, what happened?”
“I cannot answer that. I’ll leave soon, so please don’t worry about me.”
Although I’m wobbly, I can still walk. Maybe I could just stay at a random hotel.
Or perhaps, I could leave the country and camp outside.
“That’s fine… If you can’t talk, then at least rest until you regain some color.”
Tamaki pushes me back onto the bed as I try to get up and says, “I’ll bring some food,” before leaving the room.
—Well, I guess I should accept her kindness for now.
My body feels sluggish, and my eyelids are heavy.
If I were to fight in this state, regardless of monsters, I wouldn’t have the luxury to hold back against other magical girls.
(What exactly is going on here anyway?)
Putting aside my physical condition, I first need to understand my current situation.
Even though I defeated an SS-Rank monster and technically saved a magical girl, why am I being wanted?
“It seems like the Important Persons at the Magic Bureau are going overboard. Also, although it wasn’t our fault, using our power might have caused problems.”
(Why?)
“You used a different kind of power to overwhelm the SS-Rank monster, right? Humans tend to fear things they don’t understand. On top of that, while escaping was unavoidable, Haruna has been blamed for the mess in the simulator room.”
Everything is going wrong…
Once I recover, I’ll figure something out. Let’s rest for a bit.
(After resting, what should I do?)
“For now, gather strength with the members of the Catastrophism faction while defeating monsters, preparing for the final battle. We can’t rely on the Magic Bureau or Fairy Realm anymore, but entering the Fairy Realm as my second form should be fine. I can manipulate the magical wavelength, so we shouldn’t be found easily.”
Aside from losing a permanent residence, everything else remains the same.
(What about Thalagong and the Academy people?)
“Thalagong already had a strained relationship with the Magic Bureau, but they’ve officially parted ways because of this incident. And…”
Based on the information flowed into me by the Demon and what I’ve heard so far, things seem pretty serious.
It’s only been about a day since I defeated Mastidizaya…
Summarizing roughly, there are forces chasing me and those observing silently.
The problem is, if I visit the Magic Bureau to explain myself, I might lose all mobility.
Apparently, the Important Persons at the Magic Bureau want to imprison me and use me as their pawn.
Moreover, if I escape after being captured, I’ll be hunted as a designated extermination target.
Right now, I’m merely suspected, so if found, they’ll just try to capture me. However, if officially marked as a designated extermination target, all magical girls will become my enemies.
Currently, I’m considered a Provisional Designated Extermination Target.
It feels like the Magic Bureau is overreacting. Did a witch do something?
The Academy group seems fine on the surface, but they appear dissatisfied with the Magic Bureau’s decisions.
I can only pray they don’t do anything reckless.
It’s wrong for people to ruin their lives for someone like me.
We have numerous issues, but for now, I should focus on resting and recovering.
“Oh, by the way, that girl earlier, Tamaki? She’s a magical girl.”
—Huh?
I was sleeping in a park in Isesaki, Gunma.
Gunma is part of North Kanto, where only two magical girls reside aside from Marin.
—Could it be Star Nail?
“Correct.”
I never thought I’d be saved by Star Nail.
Yet, despite abandoning me before, she helped me this time—it’s quite interesting.
(Why was she in the park?)
“Um… It seems she was offering flowers.”
Ah, so it was penance.
Thinking about the M·D·W incident makes me somewhat irritated, but she did help me, so let’s call it even.
After all, her assistance allowed me to become a magical girl.
Although I shouldn’t say this, she looked rather frail herself…
Well, it’s not my business, so I shouldn’t dwell on it too much.
While cross-checking information with the Demon, the door opens again, and Tamaki comes in.
“I made udon. Be careful, it’s hot.”
Ordinarily, I’d expect rice porridge, but since I prefer udon, I’ll take it.
I get out of bed and sit at the table.
“Thank you. Itadakimasu.”
Ah, this soy sauce is the same brand I buy.
It’s a bit pricey, but it’s delicious.
As I enjoy the udon, Tamaki’s terminal rings.
Upon hearing the sound, Tamaki suddenly turns pale, grabs a bag, and vomits.
What’s wrong?
(Do you know the cause?)
“She seems mentally fragile. There have been various issues, including the Haruna incident.”
…There have been many problems, but leaving her like this doesn’t feel right.
“Are you okay?”
“Cough! Cough! I’m fine. I’ll be out for a bit, so please rest.”
She leaves the room with a shadowy smile.
She probably headed to the North Kanto Branch.
For now, I’ll finish the udon, take a nap, and think afterward.
At the very least, I should repay her for this bowl of udon.
1
Magical Girl Star Nail.
A magical girl who debuted around the same time as Blue Colette, they frequently fought but became unstable mentally after an incident involving civilian casualties. Her mental state worsened further after the M·D·W battle.
She often teamed up with Blue Colette, but recently, at her own request, began fighting alone.
Clearly unwell, she engaged in perilous battles repeatedly, causing concern from Amakaze, the director of the North Kanto Branch, and Shirokigawa, the leader among the North Kanto Branch’s magical girls, who advised her to rest.
However, she stubbornly refused.
“This is Star Nail. I’ve arrived at the scene.”
“Understood. There are approximately four D-Rank monsters this time. The nearby residents have been evacuated, but please be cautious of building damage. Good luck.”
Star Nail ends the communication and takes a deep breath.
She recalls the girl she accidentally found.
To atone for her sins, once a week, Star Nail would offer flowers at the park where an innocent civilian was killed by Blue Colette’s magic, despite public opinion blaming both of them.
She was criticized harshly at school, on social media, and forums, which pushed her further into despair.
It’s my fault. When you do something wrong, you must make amends.
Caught in such thoughts, she gradually weakened.
Then, she found a blood-soaked girl.
The bench where the girl lay was the same one the deceased civilian had occupied before dying, replaced afterward.
The girl looked extremely unwell; her pale white hair made her seem lifeless at first glance.
Out of curiosity and possibly guilt, Star Nail decided to help the girl.
But perhaps this encounter was fortunate for Star Nail.
With guns in both hands, she cautiously scans her surroundings.
In the corner of her vision, black mist gathers, and goblin-like monsters appear.
“Assault Bullet!”
She fires penetrating bullets, defeating the monsters.
Her magic power decreases, and the recoil causes her to sway slightly, but she kicks away a monster attacking from behind and fires her gun.
Two more monsters attack simultaneously, and she dodges with a backstep but stumbles due to the momentum.
(Crap!)
Falling, Star Nail manages to aim her gun at the monster and fires.
The bullet luckily pierces the monster’s head, allowing her to defeat all of them.
“Huff, huff… Still, I need to keep pushing.”
Breathing heavily, Star Nail stands and contacts the North Kanto Branch.
“This is Star Nail. The monsters have been defeated.”
“Good job on the elimination. Please rest until the next dispatch… Don’t overexert yourself.”
After cutting the communication, Star Nail shakily walks home.
Tamaki lives in her family home, but her parents have passed away, and she lives alone.
While adoption might be an option for an ordinary girl, Tamaki chose to live independently as a magical girl.
Part of her reason was her attachment to the house where she lived with her parents.
As Star Nail returns home, she worries slightly whether the girl she saved is resting properly.
She also wonders when it’s been since she last cooked for someone.
Although it was simple udon, the girl ate quietly.
The girl—Fūru—had murky eyes that didn’t match her appearance, looking as if she might die at any moment.
If she hadn’t run off and stayed home, Star Nail planned to feed her something nutritious.
With these thoughts, Star Nail opened the door to her house.
