NOVEL WEB Chapter 21
The magical girl who escaped the explosive flames
As the magical circle spreading across the sky shone, Thalagong initiated the final phase of the strategy she had devised.
(Inny Flowering… you’ve succeeded.)
Thalagong herself had considered her plan reckless.
But at this point, she did not think that Inny Flowering would fail to defeat M·D·W.
Thalagong took a deep breath and exhaled slowly.
Her hair swayed like flames and gleamed.
A brilliance akin to the sun lit up in Thalagong’s hands, gradually growing larger.
(Thank you. I will never forget you.)
“Shining Sun!”
She thrust her arms forward, generating a circular barrier.
The world was filled with light as an explosion signaling the world’s collapse spread out, turning ruins into ashes and leaving behind a deafening roar.
(This is tougher than I expected…)
Thalagong grimaced under the strain on her arms. While protecting only herself wouldn’t be a problem, there were civilians she needed to safeguard, leaving her with little leeway.
Even as a 《Unique Species》, perhaps she had underestimated it too much…
Such thoughts spread through Thalagong’s chest.
A barrier of heat spread around herself and underground, supported by her extended arms, but M·D·W’s final burst exceeded expectations.
Had she been hit directly while near M·D·W, it might have been quite dangerous, causing her to break out in cold sweat.
But she ranked fifth. She was Magical Girl Thalagong, known as the Explosioneer.
She wouldn’t fall behind to an explosion from some mere monster.
With the entrusted legacy from that girl, she encouraged herself: “I… I won’t let it go to waste.”
“Let’s go!”
Time passed, long yet fleeting.
Everything lost transformed back into the familiar scenery of Japan.
People who should have been underground appeared on asphalt roads, and not a single one was missing.
Lowering her charred arms, Thalagong sat down. A single tear seemed to have left a mark on her cheek.
The special S-rank super-large monster extermination operation, which began suddenly, ended successfully.
At the cost of one magical girl’s sacrifice…
The world is cruel, always forcing choices upon us.
The magical girl who made headlines during her brief active period and vanished like a shooting star, seemingly ending her activities today…
It was supposed to be the end of Inny Flowering’s operations.
Ignoring the cheers coming from behind, Thalagong stared blankly ahead. The pain of her scorched arms from the explosion’s aftermath paled in comparison to the ache in her chest.
The waiting magical girls attended to the civilians, and the North Kanto Branch’s magical girls were carried away as things gradually quieted down.
In the silence, Thalagong thought about a single magical girl.
And Thalagong remained alone.
Then, the sound of cloth rubbing reached her ears from an alleyway.
(Could it be?)
Ignoring her aching arms, she walked toward the source of the sound.
An odd smell wafted from the dark alley— the scent of blood, burnt clothing, and mud.
A young girl collapsed amidst a sea of blood.
“Innie… Flowering!”
Whether she was alive or dead was unclear, but she was definitely there.
How she survived that explosion didn’t matter now; just her presence here made Thalagong happy.
However, it was obvious that Inny Flowering was in critical condition.
Thalagong gently cradled Inny Flowering with her burned hands, feeling only the warmth of her blood. The body showed no signs of life, with gaping wounds.
Without hesitation, Thalagong teleported to the Fairy Realm and exited the teleportation chamber.
“Where is Jeanne?” she shouted, her voice echoing throughout the room.
Everyone who saw her appearance was shocked. Although Thalagong’s own arms were severely injured from burns, the person she held was in an even more horrifying state.
“The Magical Girl Jeanne returned earlier and said she was going to meet Magical Girl Kaede,” someone replied.
After thanking the magical girl who spoke, Thalagong dashed toward Kaede’s office.
Each top-ranked magical girl in the Fairy Realm was provided with an office and living quarters, where they often stayed unless they had other business.
Though most also maintained residences in the real world, communication was faster within the Fairy Realm due to frequent emergencies.
Thus, Thalagong deduced Kaede would be in her office and ran off.
Using magic to minimize any burden on Inny Flowering, she hurried as fast as possible.
“Is Jeanne here!?”
Kicking open the door to Kaede’s office, Thalagong entered. Kaede, seated and listening to a report from Jeanne, was about to complain about the intrusion when…
Seeing Thalagong and the person she carried, Kaede’s face went pale, unable to utter a word.
“You’re here! Please, heal this child immediately!”
Ignoring Kaede, Thalagong pleaded with the magical girl called Jeanne to heal Inny Flowering.
Ranked eighth among magical girls, nicknamed the Mad Healer, this was Magical Girl Jeanne.
Despite her harsh nickname, her skills were impeccable, and her fame extended beyond the magical girl community, being known worldwide.
Due to her busy schedule, meeting her was exceptionally lucky.
“Hmm, this is bad. Barely a heartbeat remains; otherwise, she might as well be a corpse,” Jeanne remarked after examining Inny Flowering, laid down by Thalagong. Her words were unsettling.
“I don’t care about that right now. Can you heal her or not?”
“Let me try. Maximum Recovery Magic.”
Inny Flowering was enveloped in a dazzling green light, but her wounds refused to close, rendering the magic ineffective.
“Hmm, this isn’t enough. Tell me, Taragon, is this girl really so important that you’re this frantic?”
While confirming the spell’s effects, Jeanne questioned Taragon.
Jeanne specialized in healing magic, and using more potent magic could mean sacrificing others’ chances of survival.
Few knew what Inny Flowering looked like, though her name was familiar. Even Jeanne couldn’t identify her, partly because her condition was too severe to recognize.
“Wait, is this girl Inny Flowering?”
Kaede had just returned from overseas monster eradication missions and hadn’t heard about the incident in Japan.
If Taragon’s plan had failed, it would have been reported as a top-priority case. But its success meant Kaede was unaware of the details.
“Yes. I’ll file a detailed report later, but for now, we need to save her…”
“Excuse me, Jeanne. I’ll take responsibility, so please do your best to heal her.”
Interrupting Taragon, Kaede added her plea. Though unaware of the specifics, Kaede wanted to help Inny Flowering and couldn’t ignore Taragon’s anguished expression.
“Understood. Then I’ll unleash my full power for the first time in a while. I’ll likely collapse afterward, so the rest is up to you.”
“Thank you.”
“Hmph. We’ll discuss gratitude later. My name is Jeanne. Balancing life and death, I am the one who alters the world. Unraveling truth, under the all-encompassing cosmos, restore this soul. Eternal Recurrence.”
Instead of the previous green light, a pure white radiance enveloped Inny Flowering, filling the room with blinding illumination.
When the light subsided, Jeanne collapsed, unconscious.
Eternal Recurrence, a forbidden magic never publicly disclosed, consumed all of Jeanne’s magical power. It healed everything except those already dead.
Inny Flowering’s battered body healed, and the hole in her abdomen closed.
Taragon pressed her ear to Inny Flowering’s chest to check her heartbeat.
Thump… thump… Though still pale and cold, her heart was beating. Her chest rose and fell, and faint breathing sounds emerged from her mouth.
Ah, she’s alive…
Unable to stop the tears streaming down her face, Taragon sobbed quietly.
Kaede watched silently, understanding that something significant had occurred despite the lack of details.
Laying Jeanne on a nearby bed and arranging for another magical girl to treat Taragon’s arms, Kaede asked,
“Are you alright, Taragon?”
“I’m sorry. This is embarrassing.”
Carefully moving Inny Flowering from the floor to a different bed from where Jeanne lay, Kaede inquired,
“So, what exactly happened?”
“I’ll submit a detailed report later, but I’ll give you a summary.”
Taragon explained about the appearance of the unique species M·D·W, how civilians and themselves were trapped inside a barrier, and the strategic plan she formulated during the extermination.
“Ah… I see.”
Kaede’s face darkened as she imagined Taragon’s emotions and the events leading up to this moment.
“Inny Flowering avoided the explosion and managed to return, though we’re unsure if she’ll make it back safely. That girl executed the plan knowing the risk of death, and she came back.”
“If Taragon had found her even slightly later, she would have been dead… It’s miraculous she survived in such a state, but we’ll delve deeper into that later.”
Taragon’s arms were still severely burned, making the sight unpleasant. Considering Taragon’s emotional state, Kaede advised her to rest.
“Yes… I’ll rest for now. I expect a report from either the Magic Bureau or the Operator Room in the Fairy Realm soon, so I’ll leave the rest to you.”
Seemingly drained, Taragon wobbled slightly as she left Kaede’s office.
Kaede informed her that she had arranged for a magical girl to treat Taragon’s arms, and Taragon headed to her own office.
(Still, M·D·W… stronger than what Taragon fought before?)
Sitting back in her chair, Kaede reflected on what Taragon had told her.
Just then, a fairy entered through the broken door.
“Ah, you’re here. This contains today’s records of S-rank or higher monster eliminations.”
Kaede received the data stick from the fairy and reviewed its contents on her computer.
The Special S-Rank Super Large Monster Mother Disaster Wall (M·D·W) appeared in Gunma.
Recognized as quasi SS-rank due to its irregular characteristics, it deployed a barrier capable of consuming Fairy Realm barriers. Among the affected were 30 civilians and five magical girls, one of whom was accidentally involved.
Under Taragon’s command, thanks to the noble sacrifice of Magical Girl Inny Flowering, the mission succeeded with one casualty confirmed.
Additionally, during the operation, Magical Girl Marin’s awakening was verified.
Given the unique nature of M·D·W, equipped with a self-destruct function, it was deemed undefeatable by regular magical girls.
Moreover, due to camera malfunctions, recording of Inny Flowering’s battle was impossible from midway through.
Kaede examined the attached image and video data alongside the report.
(Unbelievable… Inny Flowering defeated this?)
From what was visible in the footage, Inny Flowering wasn’t winning decisively.
It seemed impossible to overcome through sheer effort alone.
What exactly did Inny Flowering accomplish?
Death was almost certain. No, survival was practically impossible.
Yet the mission succeeded, and although Inny Flowering might have died without Jeanne, she still managed to return alive.
(Did she use Enhanced Form? No, that wouldn’t suffice. So what happened? What occurred?)
While Inny Flowering was mysterious, so was this M·D·W.
Although Japan rarely sees S-rank or higher monsters, their occasional appearances aren’t unusual.
However, this M·D·W exhibited an unusually high level of hostility.
The cause of monster appearances since “The Day of Beginnings” is known, but their purpose remains a mystery.
Was Inny Flowering merely caught up in the situation by chance? Or did the monsters have some ulterior motive?
While reviewing the report, Kaede delved into her thoughts. If Inny Flowering possessed something troublesome for the monster side…
Perhaps true peace could be achieved…
Decades after the world began its slow descent into destruction, Kaede dreamt of a world without monsters.
(Hey, Inny Flowering. Who are you exactly?)
Thinking about the girl resting in the adjacent room, Kaede closed the report.
Kaede wasn’t suspicious of Inny Flowering.
She may have doubted her slightly during their tea meetings, but based on this M·D·W incident and Taragon’s reaction, Inny Flowering’s benevolence was evident.
Kaede was simply worried about Inny Flowering.
No ordinary girl could push herself to such an extent.
Kaede recalled her clouded eyes. If only that could be improved…
If only her spirit could be restored to resemble that of an ordinary girl…
(I’ve got it! I’ve thought of something good!)
Kaede remembered the academy where newly minted magical girls were educated.
No one knew whether this idea would bring fortune or misfortune.
What was certain was that it would inflict great mental damage on Inny Flowering, alias Haruna.
That much was predetermined.