NOVEL WEB Chapter 26
The magical girl without a staff
The next morning, I woke up when Thalagong called me.
It’s still strange to get used to the fact that this seemingly elegant woman is Thalagong…
After eating breakfast lightly, for some reason my hand was held and I was transferred to the Fairy Realm. Of course, I went there after transforming. Since transfer can be done with just one operation of the terminal, fairy magic remains incomprehensible.
While being exposed to gazes as if looking at something mysterious, I head towards the simulator room we used last time.
“The settings are for general practice. This time it’s not about fighting but observing, so it’ll be fine.”
Can I trust the words of the person who forced a deathmatch on me last time despite saying we were going to fight? I can’t trust them.
However, before I have time to refuse, I’m thrown into the cocoon and the simulation begins.
Do underlings have no rights?
This time, instead of a wilderness, it’s an artificial field with various targets and obstacles that could be useful for practice.
I thought “Staff, appear,” but as expected, the staff did not come out.
(What should I do?)
“Hmm. I don’t know this either, so there’s nothing we can do but start with what you can.”
Feeling disheartened by the lonely sight of my hands, Thalagong enters the simulation.
“Eh? What happened to the staff you always carry?”
“It passed away.”
“Is that okay?”
I tell Thalagong about my abilities to the extent possible.
Mainly, that my magic weakens without the staff.
“Hmm. Why don’t you try casting anyway?”
Even though it feels off without the staff, I thrust my right arm forward as a substitute.
“Ice, ice, pierce through.”
Wow, only about half the power of what I imagined came out. The consumption of mana remains the same while the power is halved.
…There shouldn’t be a problem unless something like M·D·W shows up, right?
“Shattered ice, gather again and become a hammer.”
Reusing the magic I shot at the target, I bring down a fairly large hammer on it. It seems certain that I could knock down a C-rank monster.
“…Are you really weakened?”
That’s disrespectful. With my current state, I can’t even use “End the Breath of Life” or activate “Destroy the Enemy Before Me” without considerable time.
Besides, my hands feel lonely.
“Individually, reaching S Rank seems impossible. However, I think I can defeat them if given enough time for incantation.”
Though I can’t wildly spread magic around, I can still fight.
Considering financial issues, hunting mid-level monsters should be fine, right?
“Hmm. Even thinking as a newcomer, you’re still an outlier, but there are examples like Glint, so you might not stand out in the academy… Is there anything else?”
Hmm. Might as well try using the sound that announces the beginning, though it does hurt…
Probably, among the spells I can properly use, the sound that announces the beginning has the most firepower…
Also, I want to try the second form, but I don’t want to reveal it publicly.
Staff, what exactly happened to you?
“Most likely it’s fine. I’ve pretty much grasped the sense of magic.”
Even though I’ve weakened, I don’t seem to be losing regular battles.
“So then, me and—”
“I’ll pass since I definitely won’t win.”
At least give me a staff or let me fight in my second form full of murderous intent; otherwise, I’ll be instantly killed during the preparation phase of the spell.
With reduced power and increased incantation time, my hands feeling empty, and unable to use my ultimate technique of staff skills, it’s too dangerous.
I absolutely don’t want to fight someone like Thalagong who can easily make people explode.
“That’s cold~ Well, if there’s no problem, that’s good. After this… huh?”
When Thalagong looks sulky because she’s bored, the alarm signaling a message inside the simulation rings.
“Who is it that interrupts while someone is having fun?”
Probably only Thalagong is enjoying herself. I’m merely rehabilitating purely.
A holographic screen appears in the sky, and Kaede is there.
“Coming here the day after yesterday…”
Kaede shakes her head with a sigh and responds casually to whatever Thalagong says. What business does the busy Kaede have?
“Because something like that just happened, it’s important to rest properly, isn’t it? Also, regarding the academy, it seems we can arrange for a transfer and dormitory entry next week.”
Things are moving fast. Though it’s better for us than living under the same roof with women, school days are starting again…
“By the way, the class planned for your transfer apparently has Marin and the sword-and-spear-wielding magical girls who intervened earlier.”
Marin will be there… Due to showing off a bit too much during the M·D·W extermination mission, I hesitate to meet her.
And that magical girl too. Hopefully, they’ve reformed, but if not, I’ll punch them again if necessary.
(Already filled with anxiety, will the day come when I return to being male?)
“Now, it’s impossible because there’s no physical body. But perhaps there’s a possibility, so until then, let’s do our best as Haruna!”
While I was indulging in escapism, it seems Thalagong and Kaede have reached an agreement.
“So, basically, all we need to do is take Inie to the academy and have her take the test?”
“Yes. This is merely to check the current academic level and abilities, so there’s no concept of passing or failing, so it’s fine. Please guide Inie properly as her older sister.”
“Understood. Let’s go after lunch.”
Somewhere along the way, Kaede also started calling her Inie, but Inny Flowering is quite long, isn’t it?
The Demon said they’d add nicknames to the official website profile, so maybe everyone will call her Inie soon?
“If there’s anything, please contact me directly as I’m heading to the North Pole from here.”
The hologram displaying Kaede disappears, and an awkward silence flows.
“There’s still some time, so let’s do a simulation against a monster once, eat lunch, and then head out.”
“Understood, Sister.”
Thalagong operates the terminal, changing from the training field to a practical combat field.
Let’s see how long I can fight.
“Let’s start with one B-rank monster.”
Shouldn’t we start with normal grunts first? Despite talking about restarting as a newcomer, it feels like we’re rushing things too early…
Ignoring my silent protest, a beast-type monster appears.
There’s nothing else to do but defeat it.
“Earth, become thorns.”
The distance to the monster is about 50 meters. For a beast type, it’s practically point-blank range. So first, let’s make the ground difficult by growing many thorny spikes.
But since they aren’t as hard as I imagined, the monster charges through ignoring them.
Since my imagination is roughly halved, I need to cast stronger magic.
Though it failed as a preliminary test, it’s not a problem.
Carefully gathering mana…
“Ice, descend. Flames, rise.”
I managed to inflict some minor injuries, but not fatal wounds. Now it’s a race between whether the opponent reaches me or I finish casting the next spell…
Normally, I should be able to defeat such a low-level monster in one hit, but it’s not working well.
“Flames and Ice, gather and rage.”
Falling ice and raging flames mix together, forming a tornado centered on the monster.
Without even time to scream, the monster vanished completely.
“You have firepower, but it takes time.”
Thalagong mutters after watching my battle.
You might be able to defeat it with a finger snap, but I can’t.
Incidentally, I’ve already consumed more than 10% of my mana dealing with just one B-rank monster. Roughly estimating, it would consume about 30% per A-rank monster.
“With a staff, it wouldn’t be a problem…”
“Is there any plan ahead?”
“Not currently. Since I don’t know the exact reason why the staff disappeared.”
I know the cause, but I’ll keep quiet for now.
It’s hard to say that after using the staff as a catalyst for magic by stabbing it into my stomach, it disappeared.
“That’s… I don’t think it’s something like M·D·W, but since unpredictable things happen with magical girls, we should resolve this as soon as possible…”
It’s true… Ah, it’s been quite some time. Considering lunch and what comes afterward, it’s probably best to wrap up soon.
“Um, we should probably start wrapping up soon.”
“Oh, it’s been quite a while, hasn’t it? Is there anything you’d like to eat for lunch?”
Since it’s a rare opportunity, it might be nice to go to the marsh again, but leaving it to Thalagong could be another option.
Ah, but I do want to drink coffee.
“I’ll leave it to you. Preferably somewhere where I can drink coffee after the meal.”
“You have refined tastes. Then, let’s go home since there are other eyes around here.”
If we eat outside the private room, both me and Thalagong tend to attract attention… Actually, we’re stared at even while moving. So eating at home could be a good idea.
We end the simulation and return home via the teleportation room. My hand was held the entire time we moved.
Does she think I might get lost or something?
‘(Demon-chan thinks it’s simply because she’s worried)’
(Did you say something?)
‘Nothing. Anyway, will today’s exam be alright?’
Exam? Well, the tests on academics and magic should be fine. If anything, it’s the lack of muscles despite having strength that might be an issue.
If it ever comes to a fight, I don’t have confidence in winning. Magic should help me manage, but using magic in kids’ fights feels weird.
But since the opponent is also a magical girl, it’s fine. As long as I don’t die, I can recover, so it should be okay.
(It should be fine. After all, I’m an adult of 26 years old inside. There’s no way middle school level exams will be a problem.)
‘Then it’s good, but wouldn’t it be nice if something interesting happens?’
Society calls that a flag, you know?
For lunch, Thalagong boiled some udon for us.
Recently, with the weather getting slightly colder, it was warming and delicious.
Afterwards, I enjoyed the coffee she brewed, calming down. There’s nothing better than having time to enjoy coffee peacefully.
“Hey, Haruna, what kind of life did you live before?”
Living alone, doing things like sunbathing face-down… I can’t say that.
Thinking about a man living alone, anything would work, but I’m a girl now…
(Is there a good idea?)
‘Lived under a bridge should be fine, right?’
In modern times, if you lived like that, you’d be killed by monsters.
Something, something good idea…
“Uh… After running away from the facility, I lived with the help of fairies.”
It’s a painful excuse, but with my slow-turning brain, this is the best I can do.
Please, let this suffice!
“Right. Do you remember where that facility was?”
Somehow, Thalagong’s eyes look cold, and it’s very scary…
Did I make a wrong choice somewhere? Talking to people is hard…
“I don’t remember anything. Escaping took all my effort…”
“Then there’s nothing we can do. If anything happens, call me. I’ll come no matter what.”
I don’t fully understand, but it seems I’ve gained Thalagong’s trust. Still, I should consider Haruna’s backstory to avoid exposing any flaws.
Before anything, let’s drink this coffee and forget the unpleasant reality.
Sigh, will the day come when I return to my original body?
“We’ll go to the academy a little later, but are you okay?”
Oops, I spaced out.
“Most likely I’ll be fine.”
“I’m not worried about your magic, but there’s studying too, you know? I could have taught you if there was time… Well, can’t be helped.”
After clearing the dishes, we prepare lightly for the exam.
The Japanese branch of the Magical Girl Academy is located in the Fairy Realm, in a zone consolidated with other educational institutions and research facilities.
Although teleportation is the basic mode of transportation in the Fairy Realm, similar facilities are often grouped together.
The fact that similar facilities are grouped means that there are many similar users.
Going to a place with educational facilities means there will be relatively more newcomers or younger magical girls.
“Look, isn’t that Thalagong-sama?”
“Liar! It’s not real! But who’s the kid next to her?”
“That white-robed figure seems familiar somehow…”
As we exit the teleporter, a commotion arises as if a famous person had suddenly appeared.
Well, Thalagong really is a celebrity…
Because I’m holding hands with such a famous person, I’m drawing quite a bit of attention.
That Talag… Big Sister, can we not hold hands… Ah, nope? Alright then.
‘Waloss. Aren’t you embarrassed to lose to someone younger?’
I am embarrassed. Thanks to the hood, I’m not seen by others, but I’m sure my face is bright red. On the contrary to my feelings, Thalagong seems to be in a great mood. She’s completely different from the cold look she had earlier.
(Good thing nobody talks to us. There probably aren’t many brave enough to approach a suddenly appearing top-tier individual….)
Being pulled by Thalagong, I proceed. An unwanted academy awaits me.