Chapter 22
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 22
Chapter Title: Taking the Stage
-----------------------------------------------------------------
There's a saying that the flow of time is relative.
"So peaceful..."
A month had passed since the new year dawned. It might have been a boring stretch for some, but at least... for me, it had been a truly hectic one.
-Ah, ah. Can you hear me?
Listening to the man's voice—Bell's—coming through the earphones plugged into my ears.
"Loud and clear."
I took in the cityscape sprawled out below, visible from the rooftop of this towering skyscraper.
"......"
Yeah. It had already been a month. After wiping out that gang of thugs who tried to rape me, I'd been incredibly busy.
"Prep work done?"
Not everyone connected to those thugs could be written off as monkeys just because of their associations. I had to check if anyone had taken my identity seriously, and if they'd spread it to others. No one else could know how much effort that took.
-Just hold your horses. Man, you're so impatient.
The news had buzzed about some bizarre psycho decapitation case or whatever. But it had nothing to do with me. Maybe because the victims were just lowlife thugs—it didn't have the impact to sustain the journalists' interest. Their hype died down faster than I'd expected.
"Sorry for being impatient. Ready now?"
My name had come up briefly, of course... but surprisingly, maybe because I was known as a magical girl? People said even a fallen one wouldn't do something like that. Preconceptions are scary. I'd already stabbed a guy to death in front of everyone, and they still believed in me?
-Seriously... you're acting like a kid on their first field trip.
"Tch."
-It's almost done, so can you at least stop looking like you're about to barge in here and chew me out? It's scary.
After clicking my tongue loudly at Bell's constant grumbling in my ear.
-Alright then... the stage is ready♥
Maybe he'd finally started worrying about his own safety, because that's when I heard him bustling around, followed by a click through the earphones. I opened my mouth again.
"—Transformation."
A surge of purple magic power enveloped my body, and what emerged were black stockings hugging my slender legs on the railing, along with long boots rising up to my calves.
Flutter!
The fierce wind whipping around the skyscraper flipped up my skirt a bit, annoyingly enough. But thanks to the layered outer skirt being a stiff material, at least my underwear didn't flash like I'd feared.
"Hm."
Come to think of it, other magical girls used special spells to prevent panty shots if their skirts flipped, or wore shorts underneath.
"Whatever. Good enough."
-You really planning to flash everything?
"Who cares. It's not like it'll wear out if they look."
I wasn't originally a woman anyway, and even if I was going to live as one from now on, there was no reason to shriek and blush over a vague glimpse through my stockings.
Clink.
I drew a purple sword from thin air and slung it casually over my shoulder.
"Let's start."
I spoke to the whiny old man who was muttering loudly enough for me to hear—something about how a girl shouldn't do that, or it'd be tough if the pervy pics spread—letting out a dramatic sigh.
Beeeep—!
This is an announcement to all citizens. This is not a drill; it is a real situation. Please calmly proceed to the nearest shelter or evacuation site. We repeat: this is not a drill; it is a real situation...
It was just another day in their routine. Down below, the monkeys weren't fleeing—instead, they crowded around the black orb hovering in the air like they'd spotted something fascinating. A perfectly peaceful day for them.
Crunch...!
Purple magic power, denser than before, infused my stepping foot, pulverizing the railing to dust.
"You've had your fun watching from the audience until now."
My body leaped into the sky, lighter than ever. Looking down, a demonic beast brimming with ominous magic power was breaking out of its egg.
Murmur murmur.
But the humans rooted to the ground didn't even think of running. They just chattered excitedly with gleeful expressions, wondering when the magical girl would show up.
"Now it's your turn to take the stage, you damn audience."
Flipping in midair, I kicked off a platform of magic power and cleaved the emerging demonic beast in half... Finally, it was time to step onto the stage I'd been waiting for.
Booom—!
Ah, that's why not having to care about anything is the best. Roads shattering, monkeys tumbling in shock—none of it mattered anymore... My senses sharpened even further.
"Yoo-hoo! Nice to see you all!"
I waved lightly with a smile in front of the startled, sprawled-out monkeys.
"Ro, Robelia...!"
Just moments ago, amid the murmuring monkeys complaining about how modern magical girls were too slow even when alarms blared... the one in the gray suit up front, grinning and saying he'd get an autograph when she arrived, jumped in shock and shouted my name.
"Ahaha."
I met the eyes of the surrounding monkeys, who stared with curious expressions—making the government's efforts to broadcast "flee at the sight of me" all for naught—and smiled back at each one.
"You know, it's really something."
Clack, clack. Just like Bell had taught me in our spare moments over the past month, I deliberately let my boot heels echo around me.
"Why do they think they're safe?"
I slowly approached the monkey from before, who had collapsed in shock and now gawked at me like he was mesmerized.
"Why do they think they're entitled to protection?"
I grabbed his chin with my hand, forced his gaze to meet mine, and flashed another bright smile.
"Uh, uhh..."
The monkey didn't look afraid... just flushed in a way that creeped everyone out.
-Whoa, you've got some seductive skills. Wish you'd practiced like that with me.
Of course, it was all deliberate acting.
Crack...!
"Guh, mmph...!"
With my thumb and index finger cradling his jawbone, I applied light pressure... and a sickening snap echoed around us, like brittle crackers breaking.
"Didn't you hear the news say to run if you see me?"
"Ooh— guh...!"
The monkey tried to scream and jerk his head away, but if he could have, he'd have escaped my grip long ago.
"Sorry. Sorry. Does it hurt a lot?"
Just as I was about to put the whimpering monkey out of his misery—tears streaming from the agony of his slowly crumbling jawbone.
"That's far enough!"
From the surrounding ground, buildings, even the air itself. Red ribbons suddenly appeared, instantly binding my arms and body. With precise control, they even pried apart the fingers gripping the monkey's jaw.
"Aw, too bad. Dying like that might've been easier for you."
I wished the monkey well—even with magical girl healing, he'd live in pain until the bones fully mended—and turned my head toward the girl's voice from behind.
"Nice to meet you. Magical Girl Arti, right?"
"...And you're the traitor, Robelia."
Her hair fluttered like burning red flames, matching the ribbons binding me. Arti, the magical girl guarding this area, glared at me with scarlet eyes full of contempt.
"A magical girl who should protect citizens doing something like this... You're the worst."
She couldn't tolerate it. That's what it meant to be a magical girl.
"Surrender now and repent your sins."
Yeah. You all treated these pure kids like mere entertainment.
"It's not too late."
I let out a deep sigh at the sight of the magical girl reaching out, as if even a fallen one like me could be saved in this moment, and spoke.
"No, it's already too late."
Too many steps had been taken to turn back now.
Rip...!
I tensed my body... and Arti's ribbons—famous for binding even Amber-level demonic beasts without breaking—tore apart in an instant.
"To the very end...!"
Realizing I had no intention of surrendering, Arti exchanged a glance with the small bird—her mascot—that had been by her side, and hardened her resolve.
Clink.
I watched the flow of magic about to unfold with my right eye, now pitch black.
Boundary Inversion
A spell designed to minimize surrounding damage by manipulating magic flow.
"Boundary Inversion!"
With Arti's clear voice, a magic force field expanded toward me, ready to envelop my body. I swung my sword, wrapped in purple magic power.
Twaang—!
Boundary Inversion. A fine spell, created to minimize collateral damage. In the end, it's just manipulating magic flow. And right now, I could handle that.
"Wha, what...?"
Aim my sword at the magical girl staring at me in flustered confusion, having wasted her magic pointlessly... and flashed another bright smile.
"Now, go give some hope to those fleeing people. Magical girl."
It was time to show the truth to everyone.