The Magical Girl’s New Year’s Eve
As Tamake returned to the front of her house, she saw the lights on and her cheeks relaxed slightly.
The fact that the lights were on meant Fūru was home.
For the heartbroken Tamake, Fūru might as well have been her only source of comfort.
“I’m home!”
Opening the entrance, Tamake found no response though someone was clearly inside.
In the living room, a faintly sweet smell lingered.
“Fūru?”
She called out but received no answer. A troubling premonition crossed her mind, but then she noticed a mug on the table.
“—Ah, you were just sleeping.”
Fūru had fallen asleep on the sofa.
Tamake let out a sigh of relief and headed toward the kitchen.
She could’ve woken Fūru, but since she was about to make dinner, it was better for Fūru to rest.
Whenever Tamake tried to cook or clean, Fūru would offer to help, but Tamake didn’t like letting Fūru do anything.
Not only was Fūru younger than Tamake, but she also disliked making such a small child do anything.
In other words, she wanted to act like an older sister.
On the stove sat a pot filled with milk, and Tamake chuckled at Fūru’s thoughtfulness.
Realizing why Fūru had fallen asleep, Tamake felt reassured.
(She must’ve been waiting for me to come back.)
With a warm feeling in her heart, Tamake began preparing dinner.
The main dish would be kitsune udon, as requested by Fūru, but since it was New Year’s Eve, she decided to also make shrimp tempura.
While Tamake cooked, Fūru appeared.
Fūru’s eyes were as cloudy and murky as they’d been when they first met, and seeing her sleepy face made Tamake want to laugh.
“Would you like to help?”
“It’s fine. It’ll be ready soon, so please wait in the living room.”
Fūru replied with “Is that so?” and returned to the living room.
Come to think of it, Inie seemed more mature despite her young appearance, Tamake recalled.
(But she said she wasn’t a magical girl, and the person I met last time was definitely a man…)
Something was nagging at her, but she couldn’t figure it out.
Blue Colette. Star Nail. Inny Flowering. Hazu Shiro.
And Blue Colette’s final words.
If there was just one more piece to the puzzle….
While pondering this, Tamake finished cooking and brought the food into the living room.
“Sorry to keep you waiting. Here’s the kitsune udon you requested.”
Trying to forget about Blue Colette, Tamake kept her smile as steady as possible.
There wasn’t much time left for Tamake and Fūru…
1
I never expected to fall asleep like this.
(I could’ve been woken up, you know.)
‘I thought it’d be cruel to wake you since you were sound asleep. You’d just end up waiting anyway.’
…I can’t argue with that.
I was turned down when I tried to help earlier, too.
Still, both the Fool and the Demon’s powers were incredible.
However, the time limit is a major issue.
And even though Arcana’s power is formidable, none of the previous contractors managed to win.
To defeat a witch, something extra is needed.
Simultaneous activation of Arcanas…or perhaps using Arcana in its second form.
There are a few options, but the problem is my body likely wouldn’t hold up.
It’d be ideal to somehow alter my body, but that would essentially make me the same as Blue Colette.
I’m not ready to give up my human form just yet.
(What if I used both the Fool and the Demon’s abilities simultaneously?)
‘Since there’s no precedent, I don’t know what would happen, but I’d advise against it. If you’re going to try, you’ll need to be prepared to die.’
(I see. If I use it, I’ll save it for the very last moment.)
‘…Yeah.’
You already know I’m going to use it, huh?
You must realize that sooner or later, we’ll face an enemy that can’t be defeated by the power of one Arcana alone.
Rather than dying without a fight, I’d prefer to give it my all first.
I’ll resist until my dying breath, as per our contract.
“Sorry to keep you waiting. Here’s the kitsune udon you requested.”
“Thank you.”
While chatting with the Demon, I realized dinner was ready.
I worked hard today specifically for this meal.
The main dish consisted of kitsune udon, shrimp tempura, and roast beef.
“Wow, the abura-age is sweet! Personally, I’m thrilled.”
Though the roast beef was bought from a store, the shrimp tempura was freshly fried and tasted great.
“Hey, what did you do today, Fūru?”
Let’s see…
“I went to visit an acquaintance.”
“An acquaintance? – How did you get there? The only ways around here are by car or teleporter.”
‘You dug your own grave there.’
(Yeah, this area is practically all mountains. There’s no way there’d be buses or trains.)
“I walked. It wasn’t that far.”
Huh.
Did Blue Colette say something to you before she died?
If that’s the case, you’d probably go straight to ask her yourself. Did you just find it odd?
“Do you buy the roast beef?”
“This? Yeah. I got it from a shop inside the Magic Bureau.”
Oh right, there was a shopping corner inside the Tohoku Branch.
I seem to recall it having quite a variety of items. Is there one in the North Kanto Branch too?
Well, considering not only magical girls and staff but also humans who travel to the Fairy Realm use it, it makes sense for it to have stores and shopping areas like a train station.
“I see. Taste-wise, did you fry the shrimp tempura yourself, Tamake?”
“Yeah. Handling the oil afterward is a bit of a hassle, but since it’s New Year’s Eve, I decided to make it.”
Frying is easy, but cleaning up the oil afterward is a pain.
When living alone, you rarely bother with it.
Now that I think about it, it feels like I’m putting her through too much trouble, but since she went through the effort of making it…
Let’s enjoy it while it’s fresh.
We spent a leisurely evening together, but as time passed, Tamake’s smile gradually faded.
Eventually, we finished eating dinner.
“Hey,”
“What is it?”
“Why aren’t you asking me anything?”
I already know the outcome, and it’s not an interesting story for Tamake.
Unless she brings it up herself, I have no intention of asking.
“From the vibe you’re giving off, Tamake, I can pretty much tell how things turned out. Was it tough?”
“…Yeah. Really tough. But since I’ve figured out what I want to do…what I have to do, I’ll push forward.”
What is it you want to do? It doesn’t sound promising…
“What exactly is it?”
“To defeat the witches…the nihilists.”
“—That’s impossible for you, Tamake. Not only would you lose, you wouldn’t stand a chance.”
Even Star Nail struggles against B-rank enemies.
You’d need to be at least as strong as Marin to even consider fighting them.
Tamake bristled but quickly reverted to a sorrowful expression.
She must understand that she’s completely outmatched.
“…I know. I know I’m weak. But I can’t forgive them. Those bastards who did that to Nana.”
To me, they’re just strangers, but to Tamake, Blue Colette—Nana—was a close friend.
I know the pain of losing someone close, especially when it’s not an accident but murder.
You want revenge. You can’t forgive them.
—But Tamake,
Neither the old me nor you possess that kind of power.
“Magical girls’ desires supposedly become their strength, don’t they?”
“…So what? That’s just a rumor, right?”
“It’s not a rumor. It’s the truth. —If you truly wish for vengeance, Tamake, plead for it. Just be sure not to regret it later.”
Well, the ones you seek vengeance against are my targets.
I won’t let anyone else have them.
“—What exactly do you know, Fūru?”
“Well, I’m just an ordinary person. I have no special powers.”
Ordinary, huh? But I’ll remember what you said earlier.
‘You really are full of lies, aren’t you?’
(Adults are supposed to lie, right? Besides, there’s no reason to kill her.)
Even if she’s weak now, a magical girl who’s resolved is bound to grow stronger.
If she turns out like M·D·W, it wouldn’t matter what happened, but fate has strangely led us here.
At the very least, I should repay her kindness somehow.
“Do you plan to visit a shrine for the New Year, Tamake?”
“A shrine? There’s one nearby, but it’s depopulated and they don’t really do anything special. Oh, last year Nana and I watched the first sunrise of the year together…”
For a moment, Tamake seemed to recall something fondly and smiled, but she quickly became disheartened again.
Her emotional fluctuations are quite intense…
Even if we wanted to visit a shrine, it’d be impossible tomorrow with this snow.
Even if Tamake were to take me, it’d be too cold in this condition.
Besides, tomorrow will be a busy day, so it’s best to just sleep and do nothing.
“With this snow, going outside normally will be difficult. Let’s call it a night early. You’re tired too, right, Tamake?”
“Yeah. Let’s sleep together again tonight.”
“…Alright.”
Even if I refused, I’d just end up being dragged to bed anyway.
Sometimes, knowing when to give up is important.
