The magical girl feigned ignorance.
“Are you awake?”
At the sound of her voice, I woke up.
It was already dark outside, as if it were night.
…Ah, that’s right, I’m at Star Nail’s house.
“Yes. I’m awake.”
“…No, you just woke up, didn’t you? I’ll make dinner, can you eat it?”
It had been quite some time since I ate the udon, and I was hungry.
I still didn’t feel well, but I could move around.
As a former adult and working individual, it felt awkward to be treated so well, but I decided to accept it this time.
“I’m fine.”
“That’s good. Is there anything you don’t like?”
“I can eat anything.”
Star Nail—Tamake told me to relax while she prepared dinner, then left the room.
(Akuma)
“What’s wrong?”
Ah, you’re finally here.
(I forgot to ask, but what can Akuma do now?)
I know that she regained all her powers as Arcana after obtaining the power of the Fool, but I haven’t been told exactly what she can do yet.
During the battle with Mastidizaya, we fought by incorporating the power of the Fool, but that’s all I know.
“Hmm. As for abilities related to Haruna, I can almost unlimitedly receive magic power, and I can temporarily use both my power and the Fool’s in battle. However, it puts a load on Haruna, so we can only use it for five minutes per fight. Any longer and Haruna’s body won’t hold up.”
Even without transforming into Enhanced Form, we can use such power.
Having a time limit is inevitable.
The power of the Fool I used last time allowed me to accumulate and use an opponent’s power as my own.
As long as it doesn’t exceed the capacity of those two orbs, it can also be used defensively.
Since the orbs themselves serve as a replacement for the staff, I can still cast spells even without touching them, and they are sturdy enough to be used as weapons against enemies.
Moreover, the mantle serves as a replacement for wings, allowing me to fly without using magic.
While the appearance might be slightly concerning, its strength is undeniable.
And why does this outfit expose the bellybutton?
(What happens when I use Akuma’s power?)
“We won’t know until we try. This depends entirely on the magical girl side, so we won’t know until we attempt it.”
I see. Since we will inevitably face S-rank or SS-rank, and possibly even Ranker-class magical girls, our turn will come soon.
And then…
(What happens during the second form transformation?)
The other side strongly reflects my inner self as myself.
This White Mage form probably represents a blend between the original owner of this body and me.
Thus, as a magical girl, it has stable abilities and specializes in defeating monsters.
However, the second form is different.
This form stems from my hatred towards magical girls.
By utilizing Akuma itself as a weapon, it grants abilities advantageous against magical girls.
Akuma has finally reached her complete form and obtained the power of the Fool.
Given that the second form uses everything available as power, it’s unlikely to undergo no changes at all.
“To be honest, it’s completely unknown. Considering the incident with Shengxi, it might even be beyond my control in certain cases. Having two forms in itself is extraordinary anyway.”
There’s nothing I can say to that, but considering how much power we wielded against the monsters, it should be better to use the second form against the nihilists.
The problem is that we can’t endure prolonged battles, but there’s no choice but to accept that limitation.
(I should be able to move around somewhat in a day or two. After that, I’ll resume my activities. Also, can I always keep track of Tamake’s movements?)
“I can track her when she transforms into Star Nail, but why?”
(I just thought I’d repay the favor of the udon. Nothing more, nothing less.)
If Star Nail were to die, I wouldn’t particularly mourn her loss.
Still, she has helped me, albeit nominally.
Not repaying the favor of feeding me udon would be unbecoming of an adult.
“Fuu~n. Well, if Haruna says so, I don’t mind.”
(Thanks.)
Though she seems a bit reluctant, Akuma accepted it.
“Dinner’s ready, come down!”
As I was lost in thought staring outside, I heard Tamake’s voice.
I got out of bed and headed downstairs.
I had already figured out the layout when I went to the bathroom earlier, so I wouldn’t get lost.
Thinking about it now, going to the bathroom is somewhat nerve-wracking.
After losing the partner I’ve spent 26 years with, I have to sit down every time.
It’s not that I’m a lolicon or anything, but it feels strange without anything attached or grown.
It would be convenient if I could revert to my male body whenever I want, except when transforming, but that’s too good to be true.
This power cannot be used by men.
Though I’m getting used to the body, embarrassing things remain embarrassing.
Coming downstairs, I smelled miso.
A 26-year-old man having dinner prepared by a young girl… Even as a freeloader, this is quite extreme.
“Here you go. Sit and wait a moment. I just need to prepare the rice.”
On the table were miso soup with pork, ginger pork, and pickles.
Is it because I’m from Gunma Prefecture that I crave miso soup in winter?
Winter is coming; there are only a few days left until the year changes.
Likely, I won’t be welcoming the year after next in this world.
I’ll either be dead or fighting witches from another world.
“Sorry to keep you waiting. Let’s eat.”
“Itadakimasu.”
Taking the rice, I began eating dinner.
—It’s delicious as usual.
The miso soup isn’t overly thick, and the ingredients haven’t broken apart.
The inclusion of konjac is a high point.
The ginger pork is flavorful, perfect for the cold winter.
(By the way, what happened to Tamake’s parents?)
“They passed away in a monster attack a few years ago.”
…Hmm, so she doesn’t want to leave her home where memories remain?
Living alone, Tamake’s house is too large for one person.
Normally, she would become someone’s adopted child or move to a more suitable place.
“…How does it taste? It’s been a while since I cooked for anyone, so I made it as usual.”
“It’s very delicious. It’s great for the cold winter.”
Tamake smiled awkwardly and said, “That’s good,” then slowly started eating.
She ate faster than me, though.
We ate quietly, with only the sound of chopsticks hitting the dishes.
Tamake finished eating first and stared at me like Marin.
“…Is something wrong?”
“It’s nothing. I just thought it was refreshing to see someone eat my cooking.”
“Is that so?”
Well, I’m enjoying a delicious meal, so enduring being stared at is fine.
Finally finishing my meal, Tamake looked at me and spoke.
“Hey”
“Yes?”
“If you don’t have anywhere to go, why don’t we live together? You still don’t seem well, right?”
The answer is no, regardless of how you ask.
While it’s unavoidable now, I should recover within two days.
Even though the chances are low, I can’t predict what might happen.
It’s best to stay alone as much as possible.
“I apologize, but I plan to leave once I recover. I will certainly repay your kindness.”
“There’s no need for thanks. Why don’t we…?”
Suddenly, Tamake’s complexion worsened, and she rushed off somewhere.
…Probably the bathroom.
“Uwa-”
What’s with the “Uwa-“?
Even though Akuma knows why I intend to leave, what a thing to say.
(If we stay together, the probability of Tamake getting involved increases. Then, it’s better not to stay together, right?)
“Yeah. If I leave her alone, she’ll likely be killed by monsters sooner or later. There’s already been considerable damage.”
(…Is it that bad?)
“Chikku And pain shot through my head as information came in.
Ah, this is bad.
Despite only two days passing, one Ranker has gone missing, and more magical girls than usual have died on duty…
I can’t afford to slack off, but overexerting myself isn’t good either.
But in this state, it’s only a matter of time before Star Nail meets her end.
Even though Akuma is keeping watch, who knows what might happen.
…One week.
That’s the limit.
The sound of the toilet flushing reached my ears as Tamake returned.
“Sorry about that. Fūru must have her own schedule, right? Can’t help it… right?”
“For one week, I’ll trouble you. However, I will be going out occasionally, so I won’t always be here.”
Tamake happily smiled.
Completely, if she had just left me on the bench, none of this would have happened… Magical girls are really unreliable.
By the way, the academy didn’t have winter breaks, but normal schools do, right?
“How old is Fūru? I’m 13 years old.”
Well, she’s older than me in terms of setting.
She’s been a magical girl for about four or five years, I think.
“I’m 11 years old.”
“Then I’m the older sister. Fufu. Come to me if anything happens.”
Anything, huh?
At the very least, I can’t rely on her unless I can defeat an S-rank monster.
I don’t know how much stronger Star Nail has become since then, but she’s probably below Marin.
I wonder what happened to Marin, but I’d rather not get close to her if possible.
If I survive this battle, I might be able to become a Ranker after it ends.
As Tamake and I talked, a cheerful melody played, announcing that the bath was ready.
At Thalagong’s house, which had hot springs, I could enter anytime except when cleaning in the morning, but normally, you have to heat it up first.
“Oh, it’s ready. Would you like to take a bath together…?”
“I’ll take it later. Please go ahead.”
Why do women always want to bathe together?
Personally, I prefer taking baths or hot springs alone.
It feels good to soak and relax.
Tamake looked dejected as she entered the bath first, and afterward, so did I.
I wanted to wear the clothes Akuma provided, but ended up borrowing Tamake’s hand-me-downs.
It wouldn’t be wise to reveal that I’m a magical girl.
If Tamake mentions anything to Marin or the Magic Bureau, I’ll be in big trouble.
Although it’s uncomfortable to borrow a girl’s clothes, there’s no choice.
After getting out of the bath and heading to the living room, Tamake was drinking cocoa while watching TV.
The news showed edited footage of my battle with Mastidizaya.
“Oh, you’re done with the bath. Would you like some cocoa?”
“Thank you. I’ll have some.”
Tamake went to the kitchen and brought me my share of cocoa.
“Inny Flowering…”
I somehow managed to stop myself from reacting.
If I asked “What is it?” here, it would immediately be exposed.
“Do you know her?”
“Yes. I’m a magical girl too, but I caused her trouble. Moreover, I haven’t even thanked her for helping me.”
Tamake watched the news with a sad expression.
“But according to this news, she seems to be wanted. What do you think?”
“Hmm. Probably, she became inconvenient for someone. The New Demon War involves important people from the Magic Bureau too.”
Hmm. She’s not as selfish as I thought, nor is she stupid.
Something feels off.
“Is that so? What will you do if you find her? Apparently, it’s an order from the Magic Bureau.”
“I can’t win against her, so I guess I’ll have to let her go. Still, I’d like to talk to her if possible. I want to know why she keeps fighting despite being so battered. Why doesn’t she give up?”
The TV showed the moment I was blown away by Mastidizaya and encountered Dendrobium.
Though it wasn’t shown due to editing, before recovering, parts of my bones were sticking out.
“If I had that kind of power, maybe I could have done something…”
“—I may not understand much about magical girls, but if you ardently wish and strive without faltering, won’t you become stronger?”
“Hmm. That sounds convincing coming from Fūlu, but I’ll give it a try…?”
It’s insulting to say it lacks persuasiveness, but since I fight using Akuma’s power, it might indeed be true.
A fake magical girl using counterfeit power.
Where’s the persuasiveness in that?
“As long as there are magical girls in this world, please try your best without dying.”
“Wow, that sounds pretty dismissive. Is Fūlu a magical girl?”
“I’m just an ordinary person. Magical girls are mysterious beings.”
“Doesn’t look like an ordinary person with that appearance, does it?”
(Without transforming, a magical girl is just like any other person. Anyone can be ordinary, regardless of appearance.)
“Fuu~n. Well, it’s fine. By the way, it’s about time to sleep. Since we don’t have enough futons, let’s sleep together tonight.”
“No, I’ll be fine on the sofa over there.”
“It’s fine, really.”
After brushing my teeth, I was dragged by Tamake and pulled into the futon.
As always, resisting had no effect whatsoever.
I don’t desire my original body back, but I wish I had a little more muscle strength…
In the end, I ended up sleeping together with Tamake.
