NOVEL WEB Chapter 25
The magical girl can’t escape from her hometown.
“Hey! Haruna! It’s morning!”
I woke up to the demon’s voice ringing in my head. It feels like being woken up by a pet cat, but it’s pretty loud.
(Am I up? What time is it?)
Even though there’s a window, you can’t tell the time in the Fairy Realm without looking at a clock. It would be faster to just ask the demon.
“It’s 8 o’clock. Jeanne will be here soon for the check-up, so no more sleeping.”
(Understood. By the way, I forgot to ask, what happened to my original body?)
Yesterday, you said it was gone, but that’s not true, right? I don’t want to restart my life as this tiny magical girl.
“Well, I can’t go into details, but Haruna used her existence as the cost for the magic, right? I changed that consumed existence of Haruna into Shiro Hazuma.”
It sounds completely fantastical, but now I understand what the demon did at the end.
Still, even if my existence was altered, why am I still alive when I was burning away my very life force?
“The physical body couldn’t be helped, but exchanging souls falls under a demon’s domain. I compensated by rewriting and fixing the soul of Shiro Hazuma while I was at it.”
Ah, I see. That makes sense. It does… but…
(Then, couldn’t you have turned me back into a guy at that moment?)
“If dying instantly upon turning back is fine with you. As a magical girl, you survived, but with an ordinary body, it wouldn’t have been possible.”
I get what you’re saying… but after all the effort, I ended up unable to return to being a man and became Thalagong’s little sister instead.
And on top of that, I have to go back to school…
(I miss the days when I was a handsome guy.)
“Don’t worry, isn’t it great that you’re still alive? Besides, it’s custom-made for you! You’ll continue living like this forever.”
That’s a weak point… I vaguely remember talking to the demon. I recall saying something about accepting whatever form I might take.
There’s nothing I can do about what’s already happened. Let’s consider this my third chance at life.
As I’m lost in thought and avoiding reality in the morning, there’s a knock on the door.
“Come in.”
A white coat and glasses. The easily recognizable outfit of a magical girl. Jeanne and Thalagong enter.
Though I was definitely saved, there’s a creepy vibe and an ominous feeling creeping in.
“Hello, Inny Flowering. Nice to meet you officially. I’m Jeanne. How are you doing?”
“Thank you for saving me. My name is Inny Flowering.”
Jeanne nods with a smile several times and pets my head.
It’s embarrassing, but she’s quite skilled at it.
“Hmm. My magic was indeed perfect. While your nutritional state seems challenging based on appearances, your overall health appears fine.”
Does “based on appearances” refer to my height or my chest?
Regardless of my chest, I’d prefer some height and muscle… but it’s only been a month, so there’s still hope.
“If everything’s alright, would you mind coming with me?”
“Hold on a second. Didn’t we have an agreement? Don’t try to take her without explaining it to her first.”
Thalagong looks somewhat displeased. I wonder why?
“Not immediately, but could you occasionally work as my assistant? Talented people who can use recovery magic are rare, and I can’t manage alone.”
Considering the favor they did me, working isn’t a problem, but there’s still a suspicious vibe…
(What should I do?)
“It doesn’t matter either way, but it’d be better not to expose your face too much.”
Ah, I see. Thinking about improving and researching recovery magic, working as Jeanne’s assistant could be a good option…
“Sure, I can help occasionally.”
If anything happens, I can always escape using the demon’s transfer magic.
“That’s great. I already have your contact info from Thalagong, so I’ll reach out later. See you again!”
She waves goodbye gracefully as she leaves. Hmm…she seems kind of cool.
(Oh, can I wear my usual robe?)
“The repair is done, so whenever you’re ready. Let me change you.”
(“Thanks.”)
In an instant, I change from the hospital gown into my original robe.
It’s definitely more comforting this way.
“Well, now that the intruders are gone… Wow, Innie, you’re quite skillful. Normally, you’d have to cancel the transformation first before transforming again.”
I don’t fully understand the principle, but since the demon usually handles it, it’s fine not knowing. We’ll probably be together for a while anyway. By the way, my hood is properly on.
As I get out of bed, Thalagong takes my hand, which feels awkward.
“Are we going to your house now? Is there anywhere you’d like to stop by?”
Ideally, I’d like to retrieve some belongings, but I’ll give up on that.
Since I have money, I can buy replacements. I didn’t have anything particularly important anyway… though I left my ID behind, but I won’t dwell on it.
“I’m fine.”
With that, Thalagong leads me by the hand toward the teleportation room. Kaede isn’t in the office; she seems to be working.
Ignoring the gazes around us, Thalagong instructs the fairy, and I transfer with her.
(Where are we?)
“Let me check…phew! We’re in Minakami, Gunma Prefecture.”
Gunma again! And the northernmost part, Minakami… Well, there are hot springs, so it’s not bad.
“This will be where Innie lives from now on.”
For someone who ranks high among magical girls, it’s surprisingly normal. A decent-sized garden and a two-story house.
It’s better than having a house that’s too large.
As I evaluate the house, I catch a glimpse of light out of the corner of my eye. Looking beside me, it’s not Thalagon in her usual red-outfitted magical girl attire, but another woman.
“Let me reintroduce myself—I’m Thalagong, also known as Hayase Makoto. Nice to meet you.”
Instead of the energetic magical girl appearance, a refined woman with long violet hair stands there.
…Wait, this person exploded earlier, right? She looks completely different!
(By the way, how does my casual outfit look when I de-transform?)
“It’s the hoodie tracksuit I wore while jogging.”
Alright then. If the demon chose the clothes, I’d be concerned, but tracksuits are fine.
I de-transform, my hair changes from blue to white, and my eyes should shift from blue to black.
“Even without transforming, you’re wearing a hood? What’s your name?”
I used “Haruna” as an alias, but I hadn’t thought about a last name. Considering my backstory involves no parents, it’s fine not to have one.
“My name is Haruna. I don’t have a last name.”
“Alright… From today onward, you’ll be Hayase Haruna. I’ve bought some essentials, so if you need more, you can purchase them in town or the Fairy Realm.”
The house is tidy, with hardly any dust.
I expected a woman’s home to be cluttered, but this place is beautifully clean.
“As for your room, here it is. There are a few outfits and goods available, so feel free to use them.”
It’s minimally furnished but appropriately feminine-free. Having the room on the first floor rather than the second floor is a nice touch.
Afterward, I learned about the living room and bathroom. The living room was standard, but the bath draws water directly from a natural spring.
As a hot spring lover, I’m delighted. I realize the house is located in a secluded area—this must be why.
The supermarket and convenience store are a bit far on foot, but not unreachable. For a magical girl, distance isn’t much of an issue when moving via transformation.
“So, that’s about the house and neighborhood. By the way, are you planning to register with the Magic Bureau? Or will you remain a stray?”
I have no intention of registering, but if I were to, it would be at the North Kanto Branch…which I strongly oppose.
So, I shake my head.
“In that case, could I meet the fairy Haruna has contracted with? I’d like to have a brief conversation if possible.”
(What should I do?)
“Unfortunately, that’s not possible. I still can’t show myself,” the demon replies.
(I see. Then what excuse should I give?)
“I can’t show you. But rest assured, it’s not a bad entity.”
“Is that so? Alright then. Take it easy today. Tomorrow, we’ll prepare for the academy and confirm if you can fight properly.”
Eh… Do I really have to fight Thalagong again? I don’t want to.
“I-I understand, Miss Hayase.”
I want to refuse, but such is the nature of adults… Still, I wanted to gauge my fighting capabilities sooner rather than later, so I’ll accept it.
Right now, the only thing I know is that my staff is missing. When I tried to summon it in the Fairy Realm, there was no response.
The reason for the strange sensation when I used recovery magic on myself must have been due to the absence of the staff.
If the staff doesn’t return, it’ll be a big problem.
The likely cause is that I used it as a catalyst for the final spell. Perhaps I should discuss this with the demon later.
“By the way, call me ‘Sister’ or ‘Big Sister.’ Since you’re technically my little sister now, let’s settle on a proper way to address each other.”
…Does Thalagong have some sort of grudge against me? Was it because of the explosion or the embarrassing playtime… Why do I have to call someone older than me ‘Sister’ now?!
Please, stop looking at me with those hopeful eyes. Seriously, do I have to call her that?
(Please help me, Demon!)
“Doesn’t the title matter as long as it’s not offensive? You won’t die, after all.”
So the demon really is a demon. Even if my body survives, I might mentally die…but there’s no helping it, I guess.
(“Alright, understood. Sister.”)
“Good job! Now, I’ll be out until evening, so stay here and keep an eye on things.”
Yes, yes. Have a good trip. I’ll return to my room to conduct some checks…
(So, what’s my current condition?)
“Phew, that was a long time spent possessing Haruna. My shoulders are stiff.”
About five days, right? That was quite a while.
“Now, regarding your current state… To put it simply, it’s like the initial helper character has officially joined the party.”
(What exactly does that mean?)
“It means you’re weak. Probably the second form is okay, but the first form won’t work unless we find a solution for the staff.”
What really happened to that staff? Without it, my combat power is halved.
(Should I endure for now and switch to the second form if anything happens?)
“The second form might come with its own issues, but since we defeated M·D·W, taking a break for a while seems fine, doesn’t it?”
(I apparently have to attend the academy as well. Not only am I under Thalagon’s protection, but life is unpredictable.)
If only I had the powers of a ranker, but all I have are these mediocre abilities…
Power… If only I had more power…
At any rate, I made it back alive. Let’s celebrate that for now.
The next goal is finding the missing staff or a suitable replacement.
I need to think about whether I can fight monsters in my second form and how to live a normal life at the academy.
Also, I should avoid meeting Thalagon as much as possible. Every time I call her “Sister,” my sanity points drop drastically.
And…
“Yeah, Demon?”
“What’s up, Haruna? It’s rare for you to talk.”
“Let’s keep working together from here on.”
“Hehe. Sure thing, Haruna.”