'Elice, Calamity...' – America Frets, China Watches Cautiously, Japan Woos

Susanoo Tempest murmured the transformation name. "Elice, Calamity..."

She'd never even introduced herself, yet she clearly recognized the magical girl's transformed name. No— she had come to recognize it. Because it had been etched into the world.

A magical girl? Really? The same kind as me?

She couldn't believe it. That tiny frame no longer felt small to her. Instead, it loomed more overwhelmingly than the three-headed dragon monster, which was larger than a decent apartment building. The sword swinging slowly through the air didn't feel slow at all—paradoxically. Hundreds of meters away... no, even kilometers felt like it was right in front of her.

Slice—

How could she be the same kind of magical girl? With just one swing. Just a single swing.

Crack—

The being that had cleaved despair in half. And her? Really? The despair had split open so futilely and frozen solid. Yet in Susanoo Tempest's chest, a new despair began to rear its head.

It wasn't the jealousy born from wanting to catch up but falling short. Nor was it the distant admiration of someone who'd given up on catching up altogether. It was the feeling of gazing at a brilliantly beautiful sky... and at her own pitiful self at the very bottom.

"You okay, junior? Whoops, stared too deep there."

"H-Hiyaaah...!"

The next instant, she jolted back with a yelp at the girl's breath tickling her nose.

"Your spirit was shaken—nearly fell into a trance."

The whispered words should have been incomprehensible by rights. Elice Calamity had spoken in Korean. And yet, Susanoo Tempest understood the meaning, independent of the language.

"A trance...?"

"You feel it, right? This."

As the whispering voice echoed, the girl's massive-seeming figure gradually shrank. No, more precisely, the bloated presence that had induced her delirium subsided.

"Being too perceptive is a problem. Too sharp. Even if we're both magical girls, I didn't expect you'd sense it at this level."

Only then could Susanoo Tempest fully perceive the girl before her. The embarrassment hidden behind the overwhelming intimidation. The worry in those frighteningly icy blue eyes. The kindness in her expression that she hadn't been able to register. ...Even the subtle admiration and anticipation curving her lips. And the absurd cuteness of her floating midair to match eye levels due to their height difference.

"You need to learn a technique that doesn't detect it to the point of harming yourself. Stay strong."

Smooth— Smooth—

Did Elice Calamity even know what kind of look her junior was giving her? She left those kind words and reached out to stroke her head.

"Hehe, heh."

At that cool yet gentle touch, Susanoo Tempest's dizzy mind turned fluffy. Like chronic migraines vanishing in an instant. A comforting softness, like petting a cute puppy or being held by her mother, welled up in reassurance.

The truth was that the mana injected at the moment of the stroke had pushed out the three-headed dragon's mana disrupting her spirit and stabilized her body... but.

"Hooeeee—"

Frankly speaking, what did the recipient care about the details? She just basked in the immediate happiness.

Susanoo Tempest's eyes curved like a melted, stuffed cat's as she exhaled contentedly. The sticky ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠darkness surging moments ago vanished. Only a sparkling gaze with a strange heat remained.

* * *

"What... what the hell just happened?"

No one could answer U.S. President Edward Collins's stunned mutter. Considering everyone in the room was among America's top minds, it was truly shocking.

They'd been monitoring the live feed from the "Mt. Fuji ultra-large gate," and the situation was beyond comprehension.

From the moment the gate's scale seemed off, America had already peered into the crisis using its overwhelming intelligence assets (Japan's consent unnecessary, of course). Unlike Korea, which had only vague info despite being neighbors, they'd pooled far superior data and brains for analysis.

So they'd known even before the three-headed dragon appeared. Statistically, without the Pacific's natural barrier, it would've demanded forced military intervention long ago—a catastrophe.

Even with the Pacific, by the time Japan's support request arrived, they were already assembling awakener forces. Despite knowing their own power couldn't fully cover U.S. soil.

When the final beast's mana wave neutralized Japan's defenses, they'd coldly written off their ally.

The instant they confirmed it could fly, they'd prepared the 7th Fleet in East Asia—plus reinforcements—for takedown over the "Pacific."

Procedures were even underway to open the president's "briefcase" if needed.

If it headed anywhere but the Pacific? ...The 7th Fleet would've returned home, wherever "there" was.

Such ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠swift, icy decisions befitting a superpower... and yet, the crisis ended before orders could even issue.

"What the hell happened?!"

Japan, the party in peril, reacted with shock but relief at escaping disaster—captured on video. They had no room for other thoughts right after a narrow survival.

But from America's external view? Something else hit first. A new dimension of terror.

Unlike the gates they'd adapted to over nearly three weeks, this was traditional yet fresh danger.

Elice Calamity, the magical girl departing Mt. Fuji, dragging the frozen three-headed dragon corpse.

Different from gates resembling natural disasters... A single individual wielding a blade more terrifying than a nuke.

From a nation's perspective, potential threat outweighed the salvation that blade brought.

Coax, recruit, check, control... or eliminate.

Even as the president slammed the table in feigned rage, his mind had already coldly selected post-incident strategies. Not entirely rational shock, but mostly performance.

"Apologies, Mr. President. Analyzing that creature and awakener's phenomenon is nearly impossible right now."

"Incomprehensible, but... magical girl-type awakener. No matches in confirmed lists."

"Urgent report from embedded agent: Contacted Japan's Susanoo Tempest, used Korean."

Even America's top scholars needed such theatrics for crisis response.

"...Korea again?"

The president scowled.

Korea. Ally bordering America's chief rival, China, with notable presence. Ally, yes—but recent events piled on suspicious signs, warranting close watch.

Such an awakener from there? Impossible to hide.

Korea wasn't to be underestimated, but not enough to evade America's recent tight surveillance. And it wasn't just America's eyes.

(Truth: Even the Korean government was clueless, so spot-on.)

"If we've narrowed it that far, it'll be quick. Mobilize all resources max—first contact the target. Prioritize profiling over other measures... and blocking foreign approaches."

...Unaware that a similar hunt for the "gate-dissolving magical girl" had already stalled in the same vein.

The president's decision set America in motion.

* * *

"Sorry. A bit late, huh?"

I sat down after returning and releasing my transformation, and the stream was going wild in every sense.

"Whoa, why'd the viewers spike like this."

Ah, the transformation rumor spread. I announced it openly and fully unleashed my soul rank over there. Even if not 100%, once etched into the world, perception inhibition won't work at full power. Hero tradition of transforming with eyes covered? Service ended.

My resolve to use virtual instead of transforming back then? Toilet paper now.

"Barely hit a week... At least past the three-day itch."

"What interaction... Huh? This real? Impersonator gets no mercy?"

I frowned at my junior's name—aggro bait?—when my phone buzzed.

"Junior? Real deal? But why apologize?"

"Ugh, can't say."

I grumbled at the sharp chat and picked up.

"Huh? Junior? Crying?! Why? Who upset you?!"

I raised my voice in alarm at the sobbing, slurred mess.

Wasn't she in a meeting? Japan crisis over, why...?

...Huh?

"Wait wait wait. Calm down. Why, why why, why are you crying like that? I'm not mad at you at all?"

I flailed in confusion matching her. Then, a savior arrived for the stalled mess.

The mascot Myeongmyeong shoved junior aside and seized the phone.

"Eh?"

"Oh."

Why doesn't anyone know...? Thinking back, ah. Didn't verbally say I was going anywhere.

"What. How do you know."

"Aha."

Mascots often act as magical girl radars anyway. No surprise they sensed it independently.

As I nodded, chat erupted.

"Ah. Way more of a glass cannon than thought."

Expected a one-trick pony with strong mana for its size. But worse than imagined.

No ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠intellect, no instincts, no tactics—just chomping on mana attribute output. Like a chick with its beak wide open.