NOVEL WEB Chapter 250
I don’t think I’m particularly violent.
It’s not that I dislike roughhousing—since coming here, I’ve been fighting a lot with the Magical Girls, so I’m not exactly a perfectly peaceful person either. But of course, I don’t have any intention of just grabbing anyone and beating them up.
Still, even hearing that I could smash anything with a hammer gets my blood boiling a little.
Bam!
A loud sound erupted, sending a tingling sensation through my fingertips. Strictly speaking, that’s a kind of pain, but for some reason, I found it exhilarating.
The thick metal plate was completely crumpled, almost folded in half. It wouldn’t have been able to do that if the hammer’s thickness hadn’t been there, though.
Maybe because I was thinking about the hammer, it didn’t slice the plate in two like when Ha-yoon swings her sword, but still, it looks pretty menacing.
Combatants wear helmets. At first glance, they look similar to the helmets worn by motorcycle riders, but apparently, they’re made using some alien technology or something.
That said, there are definitely things that a Magical Girl can’t break, but at least this helmet is sturdier than the ones we usually see.
Of course, I had no thoughts of smashing anyone’s head, but it could definitely be a shocking weapon from their perspective.
For a brief moment, I wondered if it was okay for a Magical Girl to carry something like this, but then I thought that there must be at least one Magical Girl among all of them who uses a hammer as a weapon.
“I chose white for the color. Just in case my personal color is decided later, I’ll have to paint it accordingly.”
“Okay, thanks.”
Right now, I think it might end up being black, but who knows until I actually transform.
Thud.
When I set the hammer on the floor, it made a threatening noise. In reality, it was quite heavy, making it a bit hard to use without tapping into my magic.
Well, since I wouldn’t be able to even fight a Combatant without using magic, I guess worrying about that is just pointless.
“Thanks a lot! Honestly, I felt a bit overwhelmed.”
As I expressed my gratitude again, Jua scratched her head and laughed sheepishly. It was clear that her image was very different from the Iris I knew.
If that change was what made the difference between my presence and absence, it struck me as somewhat strange… but, I’d rather think it’s good.
Though her hairstyle seemed to be copying me a bit, anyway.
“Now… we just need to be able to transform.”
Transforming was something Ha-yoon still hadn’t figured out, so I wasn’t too worried.
“Alright. Shall we do a test?”
“Yes!”
As I lifted my wand, Jua nodded vigorously in agreement.
*
After sweating profusely, I washed up with a satisfied expression and bumped into Ha-yoon.
I usually shower when the other Magical Girls are not around.
Thinking about it, all the Magical Girls had the habit of washing separately. Although there were several showers available, it seems no one entered together since we weren’t that close.
Ha-yoon and I also never went in together, following that tradition.
So, I was a bit flustered when I ran into Ha-yoon after just putting on my clothes in the dressing room. Thankfully, it happened after I had fully dressed; if it hadn’t, it would have been incredibly embarrassing.
“Uh, um, sorry!?”
Ha-yoon apologized without even knowing why. It’s not like there was a reason to apologize in the first place. It was strange to use a space made for everyone on one’s own.
“No, it’s fine. I have my clothes on too. I was just about to head out.”
“Oh, really…”
Ha-yoon replied, blushing.
“Oh, right, Ji-eun.”
As I hurried to make way, Ha-yoon called out to me. When I looked at her as she was gathering her changed clothes, she still had a slightly shy expression.
“I heard from Jua that the wand production is almost finished.”
“Yeah, it’s almost done. Just a little bit of adjustment left.”
“In that case, how about sparring with me?”
“Spar?”
I blinked, and Ha-yoon nodded.
Sparring with Ha-yoon.
To be honest, we didn’t spar that often.
Though Ha-yoon was pretty skilled, our fighting styles were different. I tended to get in close and deliver punches, while Ha-yoon preferred to keep her distance and fight with her sword.
There’s a saying fighters always share: if your opponent has a weapon, it’s better to just run away.
Especially if that weapon is designed specifically for attacking people. A long blade like that is pretty much only good for slicing.
What’s the point in sparring when I can’t reach her with an attack? Unless she’s a regular person without abilities or a Combatant from the Noir Corporation, that is.
“Yeah. Since we’ll be wielding weapons, I think it’s necessary to know how to fight against someone armed… is that okay?”
“Well, I guess it should be fine?”
Even though Ha-yoon’s sword is sharp, I doubt it could shatter a magically enhanced weapon in one swing. It’s not impossible, but Ha-yoon wouldn’t do that on purpose.
“Certainly, if we’re talking about who to spar with, you’re the only option.”
If we’re being specific, Yeon-woo might work if she’s only using her wand, but that would be a definite disadvantage for her.
“Alright, let’s do it. I’ll let you know when everything’s ready.”
Thinking that much lit a fire of determination within me.
Even before I became a Magical Girl—no, even now, my goal has always been to surpass Ha-yoon.
I still don’t really know what that feeling is. Is it an inferiority complex because I’m not the main character to Ha-yoon? Or is it for some other reason?
Well, my heart is much lighter these days, so whatever it is, I’ll figure it out with time.
As I nodded with a smile, Ha-yoon smiled back and nodded too.
“Then, I’m off.”
“Okay.”
That day, we parted ways just like that.
…Even though we went home together, but still.
*
As for sparring with Ha-yoon, I was somewhat relaxed.
It’s not that I looked down on her. There aren’t many people in this world who would dare to underestimate Ha-yoon.
But still, there’s a bit of that feeling, isn’t there? Ha-yoon is a childhood friend I’ve known since I was little, and the impression I have of her usually is a bit delicate. She treats everyone gently.
Though she was serious about being a Magical Girl, I didn’t think she’d be too harsh with me.
I also questioned if there were any scenes in manga where she really was harsh.
But—
“Hey, Ha-yoon?”
After a few initial clashes with our weapons, I noticed a change in Ha-yoon’s expression.
I wasn’t quite sure what made her feel that way about me. But for some reason, maybe realizing I might actually win, she seemed to get a bit more serious.
Was Ha-yoon really this competitive?
“…”
But if she’s coming at me like that, I can’t back down.
Aren’t I the one who thought I’d eventually win against Ha-yoon? Even if my strength is still lacking, at least I need to be able to clash our weapons together if I want to do anything else later.
So, I charged forward with all my might.
The sound of magic colliding with magic was almost like metal clashing with metal. It even mixed in with a noise as if something was breaking, making it quite terrifying.
Ha-yoon’s magic was a vivid pink. It was a color that made clear the certainty of her path, a color that understood what hope was.
My color is white.
I’m not sure if that’s really a ‘color’. Maybe it’s because my color hasn’t been defined yet, or maybe it says something about my identity.
Well, I like it. A hammer that glows white looks sacred in many ways.
My personality, my goals, and my mindset in life might not be very sincere, but still, it’s fine.
Because right now, I’m fighting on equal terms with Ha-yoon.
Even if I were to lose, there would be a next time. Time and again, I will challenge her.
Though I don’t yet know what the significance of that challenge is, I’ll figure it out through trying. That’s what I decided.
It seemed like Ha-yoon was also meeting my determination head-on. I’m not sure what she realized, but at least she must have figured out one thing for certain.
I am sincere.
Regardless of my purpose or whatever, I was truly trying to become a Magical Girl. Just like how Jua sincerely wishes to become a Magical Girl, I do too.
It’s always been my desire—to be one of the protagonists in this world.
That one thing is something I fully understand from my heart—
Bam!
The magic between us erupted, and we were thrown back. The screech of my shoe soles scraping against the floor made an unpleasant sound.
“…Haah.”
I sighed and smiled.
Then, I charged fiercely toward Ha-yoon.
Ha-yoon looked a bit taken aback by my smile, but she quickly regained her composure and charged back at me.
Once more, we clashed in mid-air.