The magical girl… Inny Flowering has come to settle the past.
“You… came?”
“I can’t exactly say I made it in time…”
However, it seems we’ve avoided the worst-case scenario.
“Merciful restoration.”
I restore Star Nail’s arms and heal Marin’s wounds from a distance.
Though her arms are restored, the blood she lost cannot be returned. As a result, Star Nail’s face has turned pale.
Well, as long as we keep her from fighting and let her rest, she’ll be fine.
“It took a bit longer than expected, but we managed to infiltrate successfully. We should probably thank Fool, right?”
Using the resources of one Demon, while we could pinpoint the barrier’s location, it wasn’t enough power to infiltrate. However, with Fool’s resources added, despite taking some time, we managed to infiltrate.
Indeed, power is a wonderful thing.
(That’s right. I should thank him. By the way, since this is a good opportunity for a warm-up, can we try out the Demon’s abilities? Will it be alright?)
“It will be fine. We won’t reach the second form, and it would be better to test it once.”
That’s excellent.
Now then, let’s get rid of Star Nail and Marin who might interfere.
“Thank you. But…”
“No need. I owe you one. Please stay away as much as possible.”
“Owe me?”
Oops, that slipped out.
Honestly, I could reveal it, but I’ll keep quiet for now until after dinner tonight.
“Inie!”
“It’s been a while. Let’s take care of that first.”
We were supposed to blow them away with magic and crush them with an ice block, but the ice shattered, and a being that looked like a fusion of a monster and a human appeared.
So that’s Blue Colette, huh…
“That’s a witch’s drug. It grants overwhelming power to the user, but ultimately turns them into a monster. A terrifying drug indeed.”
(What a horrifying drug. Is there anything else?)
“The range of ability enhancement varies, but you should assume at least S Rank or higher.”
Minimum means they’re likely stronger than that.
A monster’s strength combined with a magical girl’s magic—quite a troublesome opponent.
(Just to confirm, is there any way to save them?)
Even if she was once our ally, watching someone die is cruel.
“We couldn’t save anyone. Moreover, unless the person willingly takes the drug, it serves no purpose.”
So it’s the result of their own doing…
And not being able to save anyone means there’s no way to save them.
Well, they already killed me once.
It’s only fair.
“That hurt a little. Long time no see, Inny Flowering.”
“I don’t know any monsters.”
“Hah! You’ve always been annoying!”
“Don’t get hit by the attacks. They directly damage us.”
Like disposable shock troops. What a nuisance.
(Understood.)
“Senior!”
“I know!”
Blue Colette charges at me, but Marin steps in between and blocks the spear.
I leap away from the scene and cast a spell from mid-air.
When I infiltrated the barrier, Marin was in quite a dangerous state.
If Marin had truly intended to kill, I think she could have, but it must have been too much for her at this age.
Besides, the opponent isn’t just some stranger.
She probably tried to knock them out without killing.
Such a soft-hearted person, but that kindness is necessary for a magical girl.
By the way, since we may encounter magical girls like Blue Colette in the future, let’s check how long we can fight in this state.
With Arcana’s power, I could easily kill her, but we can’t always rely on such power going forward.
Blue Colette seems frustrated, distorting her face as she dodges my spells and Marin’s attacks.
“This is so bothersome. If only you weren’t here…”
An additional pair of wings sprout from Blue Colette’s back, and horns appear.
The ominous patterns on her limbs glow, transforming her into something far removed from human.
“She’s almost entirely a monster now. With her intelligence intact, she might even be more troublesome than a regular monster.”
This doesn’t seem like a situation where observation is wise…
Why does nothing ever go according to plan?
“Marin, please take Star Nail and step back.”
“I refuse! I want to fight too!”
“Can’t you tell she’s abnormal? She’s my prey.”
She’s irregular, like a monster.
Facing her head-on, she’d kill us in an instant.
Marin momentarily lowers her gaze but quickly raises her head again.
“Alright. But when this is over, you better explain why you disappeared.”
“I’ll handle it properly.”
I’ll handle it properly—by running away.
Marin raises two swords, which merge into a single luminous large blade.
“Final Blade: Extinguish Light!”
Swinging the sword down on Blue Colette creates a cloud of dust and leaves a deep scar on the ground.
The backlash from the powerful move cancels Marin’s enhanced form, reverting her to her normal state.
Then Marin retreats with Star Nail.
For a moment, I thought our eyes met, but it was probably just my imagination.
Still, I wouldn’t want to fight Marin like that anytime soon…
“Almost no damage, it seems.”
People call things like that “cheating,” but it’s precisely true.
However, easy power comes with its price.
(Number 15. Demon. Release.)
My staff glows and shatters like glass, revealing a long, distorted rod within.
Grasping it, a curved blade emerges from its tip, forming a scythe.
My white robe transforms into red and black, crumbling apart, and pieces of armor-like structures form in its place.
Even during the Fool transformation, this feels less like a Demon and more like a Death God.
But it’s perfect for killing a magical girl beyond redemption.
“Come to me, you wretched magical girl.”
“I’LL KILL YOU!”
Blue Colette flaps her wings and flies through the air, swinging her spear.
Each strike warps space, sending out purple lightning-like streaks.
I deflect everything using the scythe.
Normally, close combat would be impossible due to my lack of strength, but this form seems to make it possible.
Still, my specialty lies in magic.
“Playful Lie”
Above Blue Colette’s head, I summon a magic circle and fire dark projectiles.
Some are deflected, but those that hit penetrate her body.
“Guh… what did you do!”
“Now, what do you think?”
Blue Colette swings her spear wildly but gradually slows down.
Using the Demon’s abilities is fuel-inefficient but powerful.
Without a steady supply of magic, I’d run out of gas after casting a few spells.
“Playful Lie” drains and disrupts the target’s magic.
The amount of magic drained depends on the magic infused into the spell.
For an ordinary magical girl, one hit would deplete their magic, canceling their transformation.
It also obstructs the flow of magic.
Blue Colette must be feeling quite miserable.
(Do you have the analysis?)
“Sort of, but it’s still hopeless. This drug seems to fundamentally transform humans into monsters. Even Haruna now couldn’t revert them.”
—Of course.
I thought maybe the Demon’s power could help, but it seems impossible.
“Why… Why do you interfere! What have I done!”
“What have you done…?”
Has she forgotten, or does she simply not care?
Anyway, my sentimentality doesn’t matter. Hazuma Shiro is already dead.
I don’t understand what she hoped to achieve by seeking such power—
but it’s about time we part ways.
To me now, this level of opponent isn’t an enemy.
Let’s give her a parting gift.
“How dare you kill me and speak like that!”
“Eh?”
Blue Colette shows a moment of surprise, creating an opening.
“The Demon’s Laugh Invites Ruin.”
I deflect her two spears and slash her with the scythe.
Her limbs lose all strength as she plummets to the ground.
Dust rises, and her wings and horns shatter, returning her to her original form.
There’s no point in healing her.
Even if I did, it would be futile.
The technique that purifies the soul and kills—that’s “The Demon’s Laugh Invites Ruin.”
All I can do is ensure she dies as a human, not as a monster.
Magic isn’t omnipotent.
As I land beside Blue Colette, she turns her face toward me.
After showing a look of surprise, she gives a faint smile.
“Hey, aren’t you the person who was at the park that time?”
Hmm. I didn’t expect her to remember that possibility.
“Yes. Due to circumstances, I’ve transformed into this male form.”
“Ah…”
Blue Colette coughs up blood. She’ll die in a few minutes.
Killing someone for the first time feels surprisingly empty.
Is it because it’s Blue Colette, or because she’s a magical girl…? Either way, it doesn’t matter.
Considering the future, this might be beneficial, but I suppose I’m broken.
“Do you have anything you’d like to say?”
“I won’t apologize… If you hadn’t been there…”
“I see. Then, farewell.”
Star Nail and Marin are heading this way.
The barrier will dissipate soon.
Releasing Arcana’s power, I escape the barrier first.
I faintly hear Marin’s voice, but it’s best to flee.
Checking the time after escaping the barrier, it’s 4 PM.
The snow that had stopped is beginning to fall again.
It’s a good time to head home.
“Are you alright?”
(Are you talking about what?)
“You just killed someone for the first time. Aren’t you feeling sick?”
(I’m fine. By the way, was that drug used in other worlds too?)
It would be easy with Arcana’s power, but if monsters like that appeared in large numbers, we’d surely lose.
“A decent number of people used it. Especially the executives all had it. Blue Colette wasn’t originally strong, so that’s why she reached that extent, but if top-tier individuals use that drug, they become incredibly powerful. It’s a double-edged sword, so they only use it when they’re about to die.”
I see. One of the reasons I couldn’t win despite having such power is because of that.
Witches really are versatile.
They have high-ranking subordinates and can even mutate average magical girls into SS-class monsters.
While summoning monsters probably has limits, they seem to do as they please.
It’s no wonder one might feel like giving up when faced with this.
On New Year’s Eve, I wasted my time.
I transfer to Tamake’s house and release my transformation.
Using the Demon’s Arcana power lasted about four minutes, but my body feels a bit strained.
I should be fine after a day’s rest, but it’s probably unwise to fight for more than five minutes as the Demon mentioned.
Using a spare key, I enter the house, turn on the heater, and prepare hot cocoa for Tamake who’ll return soon.
(How are the other two doing?)
“They seem to be safe. They’ve returned to the Magic Bureau.”
That’s good to hear.
I pour myself some cocoa, slightly sweeter than usual, and sit on the living room sofa to unwind.
As I sip the cocoa, my eyelids grow heavy.
“Stop being stubborn… I’ll always be your ally, Haruna.”
