The Mad Artist in Paradise
Flowers of breathtaking beauty surrounded me on every side. A vibrant garden stretched outward, filled with the cheerful chirping of larks. No matter where I looked, only radiant blossoms met my gaze, each one glowing with a bright, cheerful aura. Nothing harsh or jarring existed in this space. And I stood at the very center of that dazzling garden.
“……”
A massive round white table dominated the scene. Upon it lay an assortment of fine teaware and delicate, sweet desserts. The setup resembled a tea party straight out of a novel. If anything, it felt like a paradise untouched by worry. Yet I knew the truth. The space before my eyes was nothing more than an illusion crafted by someone else.
Of course, the fragrance of the flowers and the warmth of the teacup felt entirely real. Anyone unaware of the circumstances might have mistaken this place for reality. But two clear reasons dispelled any such doubt. First, my final memory before falling asleep remained sharp and intact. Second, I had never once in my life dreamed such a childish, honeyed fantasy. Combining those facts made the impossible situation all too obvious.
Who could create a dream space this vivid? Only one being came to mind.
Tap. Tap. Tap.
The sound of heels striking the ground echoed nearby. Speak of the devil. The culprit behind this suspicious affair finally revealed herself. I turned my head naturally toward the noise. At this point, nothing could truly surprise me anymore. Yet the moment my eyes met the figure standing there, a crack formed in my composed expression.
A beautiful woman stood before me. Her appearance looked as though a god had personally sculpted it, with a flawless figure that curved in all the right places. An otherworldly presence clung to her, enhanced by a pure white dress. She resembled the queen of fairies from some fantasy tale. The unnaturally long ears and the golden tiara resting atop her head made it impossible to mistake her for an ordinary human.
She must have seen my rotting expression. Still, the woman standing across the table met my gaze directly and offered a radiant smile without the slightest hesitation.
[Welcome. First, allow me to express my gratitude for accepting my invitation. …There’s no need to be so flustered. I simply wished to have a brief conversation with you, the new guardian of light~]
Her voice was soft and gentle, carrying a warmth that felt like the natural resonance of a forest. A dream in which such a stunning beauty welcomed me kindly—on the surface, it was the kind of fantasy anyone might long for. Yet I stared at her with frozen eyes, my mouth slightly agape and brows furrowed.
The reason was simple. I already knew the true identity hiding behind that dazzling facade. How could I forget those mischievous golden eyes?
I rested my chin on the white table at an angle. Slouching in my chair with a thoroughly delinquent posture, I finally opened my mouth.
“Hey…”
[……]
She maintained her smile in silence at my curt, cold address. That shameless face only fueled my irritation. Deciding to test how far she would feign ignorance, I continued.
“Oi…”
[……]
“Excuse me… Ulthar?”
[……]
“…Answer me before I flip this table.”
[……!]
That simple yet decisive threat struck home. The heavenly smile on her face slowly crumbled, replaced by a sulking expression. At the same time, the mystical aura surrounding her vanished completely. Stripped of her dignity in an instant, she glared at the girl before her with resentful eyes, looking exactly like a child throwing a tantrum.
[Hwaaaang!~ What is this! I went through all the trouble of preparing this place and decorating it so carefully… and you have zero sense of romance! That’s just too much! Couldn’t you at least play along with the act a little?]
“…Your usual misdeeds are already more than enough. Now you’re trying to whitewash your image? Even you must realize how shameless that is. Enough with the games. Tell me your real purpose.”
The woman stared at the girl before her with a deeply furrowed brow. Soon, however, she let out a small sigh and sat across the table with a pouty expression, cheeks puffed out and arms crossed tightly. It seemed her carefully constructed concept had collapsed, leaving her thoroughly displeased.
[It was just… a simple welcome party? I wanted to try something like that. Honestly, ever since we formed the contract, you’ve been so busy with one thing after another, right? Holding it in the treatment room would’ve been risky with the surveillance cameras… Even if I could hide some things, covering up something this big would’ve been impossible for me. So I borrowed your dream for a bit.]
“…I don’t even know where to start arguing with that. Fine, let’s say that’s true. But why hold a welcome party in such a cringeworthy place? There are plenty of other locations. Why choose something that only little kids would like…”
I looked around once more with an incredulous gaze as the creature brazenly stated her purpose. On the surface, the location wasn’t entirely unsuitable for a welcome party. Yet the overall atmosphere, from the cute colorful flowers onward, carried a distinctly childish vibe. If I had to sum it up in one word… it was exactly the kind of place a girl my current apparent age would adore.
Seeming to catch my unspoken question, Ulthar answered immediately.
[Ah, that part? Actually, this space wasn’t my original idea either. When I searched for suitable locations using the keyword “magical girl” in this world, this place came up. I even took this appearance from there! It was my favorite, so I tried it out. The character’s name was something like Fairy Queen?]
As she spoke, Ulthar placed both hands on her hips and proudly showed off her current form. The way she leaned forward suggested she was quite pleased with her appearance. Meanwhile, I finally understood the full picture. Something had felt off, and now it made sense—this place wasn’t originally from Earth at all. It was likely the fairy realm from some magical girl anime that aired in the morning hours. And the appearance Ulthar currently wore belonged to the queen of those fairies, the character who granted power to magical girls.
“……”
I gazed at her with a sinking expression before slowly closing my eyes. Up to this point, I could more or less accept it. Of course, having a suspicious entity invade my dreams and arbitrarily manipulate them wasn’t normal, but I had long since developed immunity to such things, so the impact wasn’t too severe. A detestable creature appearing in a beautiful disguise was merely eyebrow-raising, nothing more.
Yet one far greater problem existed, one that easily overshadowed everything else…
After taking a careful deep breath to steady myself, I opened my eyes again and stared at the woman before me. A massive wave of anger now burned within them.
“…Honestly, I don’t really care what you do anymore. You wouldn’t listen even if I said anything. But regarding this particular matter, you’d better give me a proper explanation…?”
She looked at me with an innocent, harmless expression, as if she had no idea what I meant. I felt a vein bulge on my forehead. With a smile trembling from rage, I confronted the reality I had been desperately ignoring and pointed directly at my own chest.
A massive red ribbon was prominently attached there. That wasn’t the only issue. The white patient gown I had been wearing in the treatment room before falling asleep had vanished without a trace. In its place was a noticeably modified sailor uniform. The top was nearly sleeveless, exposing most of my pale arms, with a huge red ribbon at the center. A blue skirt that revealed nearly all of my slender legs and thighs, paired with red high-heeled shoes to complete the look. My ash-gray hair, which had once reached my shoulders, was now tied into cute twin-tails. On top of that, an unknown round gemstone adorned a circlet resting on my forehead.
Feeling a strange chill between my legs, I blushed and tugged down the blue skirt. Yet because the length was so short, the awkward sensation refused to disappear despite my efforts. In short, the outfit could hardly be called normal attire. Its identity was obvious even without thinking. It matched the iconic uniform and appearance of the famous magical girl from Sailor Moon.
Looking over the outfit, the shame I had barely managed to forget came flooding back into my mind. My face, slowly turning as red as an apple, flushed even deeper than before, threatening to burst. What sin had I committed in my past life to deserve this kind of torture? For someone whose sense of self from their original body remained crystal clear, this situation was nothing short of mental torment.
Ulthar, who had been watching me with an ambiguous expression, finally clapped her hands together and nodded.
[Hmm… Ah! You mean the outfit? I picked a fairly popular magical girl costume for you! Do you know how much trouble I went through to adjust it to fit you? So, what do you think? You like it, right? Hehe, even though I’m the one who dressed you up, you really do look adorable.]
“……”
I was a fool for thinking there might be a reasonable explanation. Ulthar gave me a fox-like smile while closely observing my appearance, nodding to herself repeatedly.
[When you go to the trouble of preparing a venue, matching the dress code is standard. A meeting between a magical girl and the Fairy Queen in the world of fairies! Mmm. I just can’t resist! Honestly, even when I first brought out the outfit, I was unsure, but I never expected it to suit you this well! Satisfaction… maximum satisfaction!! ]
Like an artist admiring her own masterpiece, the creature’s eyes sparkled as she poured out her emotions. Watching her from up close, I felt something close to enlightenment. Of course, the girl’s current appearance was quite beautiful, so she pulled off the outfit without issue. To an outsider, it would simply look like an exotic beautiful girl with unusual hair color sitting demurely in a magical girl cosplay.
But the reality inside was completely different. No matter how much the exterior had changed, the consciousness within was undeniably that of a man in his mid-thirties. Dressing someone like that in this outfit was more than any mind could endure.
Thud!
To keep my sanity from evaporating, I slammed my head onto the table. At the same time, the twin-tails tied in my hair swayed with the motion, brushing against my shoulders with a subtle new sensation. That fresh feeling delivered yet another massive shock to my psyche.
A moment later, when I lifted my head again, my face looked utterly haggard. The anger that had been blazing just moments ago had already subsided significantly. It wasn’t because the rage had faded on its own, but rather because mental exhaustion had naturally drained it away.
“Huu… haa… Fine. If that’s the reason, you’ve seen enough now, right? Let’s stop here and turn everything back to normal… At this rate, it’s really dangerous… My mind won’t hold up…”
My voice, pleading with her, carried an unmistakable sense of crisis. If this continued, my sanity would collapse completely. For someone who still found the very words “magical girl” uncomfortable, this kind of stimulation was far too intense. Even now, the unfamiliar sensation of the short skirt and the alien feelings everywhere were driving me to the brink of madness. I had managed to endure by thoroughly ignoring reality, but now that I was this deeply aware, even that was impossible.
Ulthar must have seen my appearance and reaction clearly. Yet her reply completely betrayed my expectations.
[Ehh~ I went through all that trouble to set this up, and you want to end it so soon? Why not stay like this a little longer? More than anything, your awareness as a magical girl is far too lacking! Let’s use this opportunity to push that pathetic anti-magic resistance to its absolute limit!!!]
The beautiful woman stared at me with a languid expression and a strange smile. Despite her innocent-looking face, every one of her actions revealed clearly malicious intent. The mad artist wearing the Fairy Queen’s mask savored her creation, licking her lips with satisfaction.