Is This... Me? (2)
[…Not bad at all, actually. As expected, the original base is excellent. To pull off such a gloomy outfit this well… You should be thanking me for reincarnating you into such an unparalleled beauty!]
I stared blankly at the mirror for a moment before finally snapping back to my senses. Yet no matter how closely I examined the girl reflected there, nothing seemed out of place. She simply wore the same ambiguous expression as before, devoid of any smile. A strange, indescribable feeling washed over me as I furrowed my brows, shook my head, and turned my gaze toward the creature standing nearby.
“I don’t know about that. Why did my hair and eye color change again? I thought only the outfit was supposed to change.”
[Hmm, you really don’t understand anything, do you? Transformation isn’t merely about swapping clothes. It’s about advancing one step beyond your original self to become your true self! That’s what makes a true magical girl. In short, it’s an image change.]
The creature spoke with fervent enthusiasm, then nodded to itself in satisfaction. I had no desire to understand its nonsense or argue about it, so I simply let out a small sigh. Still, the term “image change” made a certain amount of sense. Even I, who had thought I was somewhat accustomed to my current appearance, found it difficult to spot any traces of my former self in this new form. Unless someone observed me very closely, distinguishing the difference would be no easy task.
“…More importantly, why don’t you hand over whatever you’re hiding behind your back? There was one thing missing from the outfit photo I saw earlier. You didn’t think I’d just let it slide, did you?”
After roughly checking my current appearance, I turned to face her directly. Despite the kind smile on my face, my voice carried a chilling edge as I extended my hand. The woman, who had been standing calmly with one hand hidden behind her back, flinched in surprise and slowly backed away. Like a child caught hiding something, she broke into a cold sweat before finally putting on a pitiful expression under my unyielding gaze.
[Ugh… But this look is already perfect as it is. Do we really have to wear that? No matter how I think about it, that thing is just…]
“I chose this outfit precisely because of that item. What are you talking about? Hand it over while I’m still asking nicely.”
My attitude remained firm despite her pleading tone. Of course it did—among all the outfits, I had selected this one largely because of that accessory. Ultimately, the creature surrendered to my half-threatening demand and produced the hidden object. Its true identity was a white mask bearing a smiling expression. Among all the catalog outfits, this was the only one that included a mask. It wasn’t particularly eye-catching, yet it could cover my entire face. Although I disliked how similar it was to gothic lolita fashion, it was still far better than the other options.
[…No.214 ‘The Little Devil Smiling in the Darkness.’ Uuuugh!! Of all things, the outfit I hated the most…! To think of hiding that beautiful face instead of showing it off… I just can’t understand it!]
Upon seeing me trying on the mask in front of the mirror, Ulthar burst into tears. I paid no attention to the wailing. No matter how I looked at it, standing before people in this outfit with my bare face exposed was clearly impossible. In that sense, the outfit with the mask was nothing short of salvation. At the very least, wearing the mask to hide my face would reduce the shame somewhat.
I carefully examined the girl wearing the white mask. Fortunately, it covered my face completely. However, there was one problem: the moment I put it on, the overall atmosphere became extremely ominous. Combined with the already monochrome black outfit, the addition of the smiling white mask intensified the gloomy aura. But what did it matter if the impression was a little frightening? I had no intention of appearing cute to others in the first place, so such details posed no issue whatsoever.
No.214 Outfit Name: The Little Devil Smiling in the Darkness
[A girl standing in the darkness beneath the faint moonlight. She roams the shadows, toying with villains and deriving pleasure from manipulating them at her whim. Her laughter, like crystal beads that pierce the ears and cloud the mind, along with her provocative words that ceaselessly provoke others, brings her joy as she watches their anger flare. In the end, she lowers her mask and deceives them with a pure, innocent smile before stealing the lives of the sinners who have lost their senses… What the dying see in their final moments is the little devil laughing with a wicked smile.]
The description was written in neat, round, and cute handwriting, as if Ulthar had personally penned it. Yet the content itself was enough to make one’s head spin just from reading it. Enjoying the act of provoking others and finding happiness in it—there was no denying the considerable twisted taste behind it. Of course, some people might enjoy such things, but I was certainly not one of them. Moreover, as I read through the description, one particular character archetype came to mind. The little-devil-type beautiful girls commonly seen in subculture works… The traits were remarkably similar to those of a “mesugaki.”
“As expected from something not made by a professional, it’s packed with suspicious fetishes. This perverted cat… Isn’t this catalog just a collection of your personal tastes disguised as a guidebook?”
I lowered the mask and stared at the creature with an expression full of contempt. However, Ulthar met my reaction head-on, placing both hands on her hips and leaning forward.
[Hey now! What are you saying! I merely wrote down the concepts that perfectly match each outfit. Besides, in today’s world, a magical girl without at least one standout trait won’t survive! Please don’t distort my pure efforts in such a strange way!]
There was even a faint trace of pride in her voice. Despite my incredulous gaze, the creature maintained her confident attitude. Given her track record so far, if she had felt any shame over something like this, she wouldn’t have started this in the first place. Leaving the employee—who seemed beyond reason—behind, I stood before the mirror once more. At the same time, the mysterious girl reflected there came into view. It was undeniable… As much as I hated to admit it, my current appearance was perfectly suited to embody the concept written there. A young girl’s figure paired with seductive, cat-like eyes that matched a sly smile. Suddenly driven by curiosity, I tried recreating the smile described in the catalog.
The girl in the mirror moved slowly according to my will. The result far exceeded my expectations. At first, it was a light smile. A pure expression imbued with such innocence that it could momentarily steal one’s breath away. Yet that glass-like, delicate smile gradually became tainted with malice, transforming in an instant. Her eyes began to narrow subtly, creating an arrogant gaze that seemed to look down on others. The golden eyes that had once shimmered softly were now dyed with haughty light, and the smile she wore had lost nearly all of its former purity. What stood there now was a perfect little devil at 100% purity… No, a mesugaki. Simply facing her was enough to provoke anger in others, and her appearance was in no way inferior to those mesugaki girls from manga.
Overwhelmed by the result that completely surpassed my expectations, I unconsciously lost my composure. As I stood there dazed, entranced, I noticed something reflected in the corner of the mirror. The employee was watching with an expectant expression. Only then did I come to my senses, startled, and frantically rubbed my face with both hands to erase the expression I had been wearing.
[Aww… If you felt like it, you should have gone all the way. Even if you deny it with words, you’re actually pretty good at it, aren’t you? Maybe you have a talent for that sort of thing?]
“…Shut up. Don’t say such creepy things. That just now was… purely an accident.”
[Hehehe… Well, let’s just say it was, then.]
Ignoring the creature’s sinister gaze, I wiped away the chill running down my spine. For a moment, I had felt as though I was being swallowed by my own reflection in the mirror. Of course, it had been intentional, but seeing myself so perfectly realize the imagined form had caused me to lose control. It was an unsettling yet strangely vivid sensation, as if the girl in the mirror was gradually encroaching upon me.
[Now that you’ve finished trying everything on, let me ask one last time. You’re really going with that outfit, right?]
Meanwhile, Ulthar had approached and asked me with a serious expression. Faced with the moment of decision, I hesitated briefly before nodding. Though I felt somewhat uneasy, there were no other suitable outfits. Moreover, while looking through the catalog, I had realized that every other outfit carried similarly suspicious concepts. This one simply had a slightly more intense version. On top of that, I hadn’t made this decision thoughtlessly.
‘…It’s true that I feel a bit anxious. But what’s written there is literally just a concept. It’s not forcing anything…’
I organized my thoughts internally and narrowed my eyes. Thinking back, the creature had never once emphasized that I had to act according to this concept. If that had been her intention, she would have made it clear from the beginning. Of course, if I didn’t follow the concept, she would show her displeasure, but I could handle that with a superficial performance without any major issues. From the start, I had never even dreamed of sincerely carrying out the concept written there. A half-hearted act would suffice—that was the clever workaround I had come up with.
“!!!”
Just as I reached that conclusion, my eyes met Ulthar’s directly. Like a thief whose feet had been caught, I couldn’t hide my panic and distorted my expression. But what was even stranger was the creature’s reaction right after. She was giving me a peculiar, knowing smile. It was as if she had read every single thought I was having. Instinctively sensing danger, I swallowed hard, but the words that came out of her mouth next were completely different from what I had expected.
[Hmm~ Now that the outfit’s decided, shall we begin the real training? The dream world has only just begun, after all!]
As Ulthar spoke, she began changing the surrounding space once more. Though her suspicious demeanor bothered me, I didn’t voice it. I simply didn’t want to bring up the topic here. It was a human instinct to escape anxiety… in other words, avoidance. But at that moment, I didn’t know. I had no idea what kind of storm my current actions would bring later…