Chapter 8

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Translator: penny

Chapter: 8

Chapter Title: This is... me...?

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"...So, what's this situation?"

The director of the magical girl specialist hospital—and one of the leading figures in healing magical girls—Aruel had no choice but to furrow her brow at the sight of this uninvited guest who had shown up in the dead of night.

"What else? I brought an injured magical girl."

In front of her stood someone she vaguely remembered seeing once before—a vile enemy she'd rather forget but couldn't—and he was cradling a magical girl equally etched in her memory.

"Did our little one get into a fight with you or something?"

"Huh? You haven't heard yet? I figured since you pulled back from the scene, you might be a bit late to the news, but given the circumstances, I thought word would have reached you by now."

"What are you even..."

Just as Aruel was about to glare at him irritably with her pink eyes, taken aback by his tone implying she should know...

Aruel fumbled frantically through her doctor's coat at the sudden, frantic alarm blaring from her pocket like a siren.

"...Blackout?"

She stared blankly first at the black-clad man in front of her, then at Seriel, battered and limp in his arms, her face a mask of shock.

"No way..."

"Yep. Exactly that no way."

If that man hadn't been there, she probably would have brushed it off as nothing. So, with a fierce scowl and a click of her tongue, Aruel snatched Seriel—who was still clinging to consciousness—from the man's arms.

"What are you doing? Get out already."

The moment she lifted Seriel, her body went completely limp, and even through the coat draped over her, Aruel could feel the deep, numerous wounds.

"This is too much. I even did something nice for once, and you can't even offer me a cup of tea..."

"One more word, and I'll take it as a challenge to fight."

"Whoa, okay then. I'll be off."

With that, the man vanished like a black gust of wind, as if he'd never been there at all. Aruel closed her eyes with a sigh, her head throbbing... and when she looked down again...

"Seriel... no, Ha-yul. You can stop pretending to be asleep now..."

She had meant to say she'd handle everything even after the transformation wore off, so just rest easy. But what entered her eyes was no longer the Ha-yul she knew.

"...Damn that demon bastard. He should've at least explained properly before leaving."

You told me to leave quickly. She could practically hear the demon's voice—the voice of her former enemy—echoing without him even saying it. With another deep sigh escaping her lips, Aruel began treating the black-haired girl who had passed out, her transformation undone, covered in wounds.

My whole body ached.

"Ugh..."

I had no idea what happened, but since my body hurt so much even my voice wouldn't come out properly... at least I was somehow still alive.

"Ha-yul...?"

As I writhed in pain, trying to move my unresponsive body with a groan... a familiar voice reached me.

"A... ru..."

Hearing Teacher Aruel's voice meant I was in the hospital. As I tried to call out to her with that thought, the searing pain in my throat forced me to grimace again.

"...Drink some water first. It's warm."

"Tha... kghk, nks..."

Even as I spoke, something felt off—different from usual in every way.

Gulp, gulp.

I was hurriedly soothing my throat with the warm water Teacher Aruel handed me when...

"Ha-yul."

Her voice was unusually serious. She even approached my bedside, gently taking my hand. Pushing aside the growing unease from my entire body, I quietly opened my mouth.

"...Teacher. Tell me it's not true."

I hadn't noticed at first because of the pain, but now I knew. A voice that wasn't mine was coming from my throat. Teacher Aruel's hand holding mine under the blanket felt larger than usual. And her eye level—lower than Yu-na's, belonging to her petite frame—was above mine, even though I was propped up in bed.

"Calm down and listen. Ha-yul. You've..."

Truth be told, I already knew without her saying it. What had happened to me. In my blurring vision, I watched her try to fulfill her duty as a doctor, her face full of anguish.

"...become a girl. I know it's hard to believe."

Pale, soft skin visible through the tightly wrapped bandages. A voice so thin it startled even me as I spoke. Hair tickling my shoulders. And... the pair of swells pushing up my chest clothing, along with the emptiness below.

"Ha... this is insane, for real..."

Yeah. I get it. Surviving like this is something. Sure, it's a shame to lose the muscles I built up and my manly physique, but it's fine. Just that much. A woman's body? I'm already used to it as the magical girl Seriel.

"...So, how am I even here?"

With ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠yet another sigh I couldn't count, I rubbed my hazy eyes—humid, maybe?—and asked Teacher Aruel, who stood silently with a crumpled expression I couldn't quite read.

"I thought I'd drift away and die in that inverted boundary space."

It was a Boundary Inversion without a mascot or an anchor linked to vital signs. Even if another magical girl cast it in the same place, no guarantee it was the same space. I figured there was no coming back.

"...Apparently, another magical girl was nearby by chance. She chased after you before the boundary shifted."

A lie. I knew that day there were no other magical girls in our city besides Yu-na when I crossed the boundary.

-Your noble sacrifice commands our respect.

And vaguely, I remembered. Just before blacking out, someone thanking me.

"I see? Then I should thank her later."

But I played dumb. Because Teacher Aruel's face looked so tormented, as if it were all her fault.

"Teacher."

"...Ha-yul."

"It's okay."

"......"

"I don't have friends or family anyway. I'll just adapt."

I gently took her hand, which had been patting my shoulder silently, and told her it would all be fine.

"...Hic."

But it seemed to backfire. My words hit like the final blow, and now Teacher Aruel was openly sobbing, head bowed.

"Uh, um... th-that is..."

This was awkward. If only the Boss were here, it'd lighten the mood. Where the hell did that old man go with his charge passed out like this?

"Right... mirror! Don't you have a mirror? I need to see what I look like!"

To shift her attention ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠from her sniffling, I changed the subject.

"...Here."

I let out a quiet sigh of relief inside as she pulled a small hand mirror from her pocket and handed it over.

"......Huh?"

In the mirror was a beautiful girl with short black ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠bobbed hair, eyes wide open just like my shocked expression—similar yet not to my Seriel form, striking right at my strike zone in every way.

"This is... me...?"

I poked my cheek with my bandaged hand, ignoring the pain, and the beauty in the mirror winced, squishing her soft cheek in the same way.

"O... wow..."

She looked about Yu-na's age at first glance, young, but a subtle weariness on her face gave off a strangely decadent allure.

Glance.

Stealing a peek downward without Teacher noticing, a fairly large chest—compared to my body and hands size—asserted its presence through the patient gown, something I'd never felt as transformed Seriel.

'Wanna touch 'em.'

As I suppressed my lingering male instincts despite the body change and glanced at Teacher Aruel, gauging her reaction...

Bang!

Urgent footsteps echoed from outside—enough for two people—and soon, familiar faces burst through the door as if it might shatter.

"Ha-yul!"

"Senior Ha-yul!"

How rushed were they to be sweating like that? Still, I knew it was all worry for me.

"You'll pass out before I do at this rate. Calm down, everyone."

Bearing the rising pain, I raised my hand in a V-sign and flashed the brightest smile I could manage.

It's okay. So many people still know who I am.