Rapid Mana Mastery
Mir and Popo headed straight home to practice mana control. An hour sensing mana, another circulating it. After a full two hours of magic training, it was time to move to practical application.
"Alright! Let's give it a try! You can do it, Mir!" Popo looped excitedly around my head, cheering me on.
"Yeah." I took a deep breath, then gathered the energy inside me as Popo had instructed. Tiny sparks of static crawled up my body from everywhere, converging in my chest. It was a bizarre sensation for someone like me who'd never even heard of mana before, but surprisingly not bad.
Pzzt! "Oh."
When I opened my eyes, I was standing in front of the bathroom mirror, not the living room.
"Whoa, you did it! Success, Mir!" Popo shouted from outside the door before flying in.
Real success. Dazed, I stared at my open palm for no reason.
"It actually worked...?"
Should I try again? I focused once more. This time, I landed on the kitchen table.
Whoosh! Space warped with a sound, and my view shifted in an instant. Sure enough, I was perched on the table.
"Oh..." It was going well. No, really well.
I started teleporting wildly after that. Whoosh, whoosh-whoosh. Bathroom, bed, kitchen, bathroom, bed... My body wobbled a bit each jump, but the thrill only grew.
Popo, thrilled by my zipping around the house, wagged its tail furiously while chasing after me.
We kept at the whooshes for a good while, focusing on teleport practice.
This is kinda fun. "...Whew. That should do it, right?"
"Of course! Mastering teleportation in one go like that— you're amazing!" Popo landed on my shoulder, voice brimming with excitement.
"Thanks to you, Popo." Now I could land precisely anywhere in the house with my eyes closed. Half a day, and I was handling mana like a pro. Honestly, I was shocked.
Guess I have a knack for this after all.
Then my eyes fell on the living room wall I'd spectacularly smashed that morning in this new body.
"Hey, Popo. Can you fix a broken wall with magic too?"
"Huh? Oh, restoration magic? Sure, it's possible, but..."
It was possible? Before Popo could finish, I reached out to the wall chunks. A strong hunch told me I could do it.
I closed my eyes, focused, and gently unraveled the mana from teleport—like pulling a thread—and sent it to the wall. Projecting circulating mana outward was trickier, but somehow it worked.
"Oh." It was working. Working great.
Crackle. White mana enveloped the fragments, and they floated back into place one by one. Soon, the cracked wall was smooth as new.
Total success.
"For someone at your level, it'd be really tough. You need super precise control. Don't be too disappointed..."
"Did it."
"Huh...? H-Huh?!"
"Mana's way more useful than I thought. Saved on repair costs. Thanks, Popo."
"N-No way! Mir, wait! How'd you do that?!"
Huh? "Just like you taught me."
"I didn't teach you anything like that!"
"Did I not?" Hadn't taught restoration? Maybe.
"Of course not!" Popo circled me wildly, eyes huge. Its cotton-ball tail was puffed up straight—must be freaking out. Looked super soft. All poofy.
"This is nuts. Teleport wasn't enough—now restoration too, first try? You're not secretly a pro magical girl or something, are you?!"
Touching it now would probably make Popo sulk hard, so I held back. I'm not that oblivious.
"Told you, no..." Probably just my office-honed skills. That newbie grit for nailing every task perfectly. Shining here.
"Must be 'cause I'm just that awesome."
Yeah, me.
"No, it's not that simple...! What you just did is like a baby monster beating seasoned miners!"
...Her metaphors are lost on me. Miners?
"Even if you say that, it's my first time..." First time's first time—what else to say? I shrugged lightly.
"Look me in the eye and swear you're not a magical girl?" Popo zoomed right up to my nose, staring intensely.
Why's it so clingy today? Clingy guys aren't popular. Drop it already.
"Nope." I stared blankly into Popo's tiny pupils.
Magical girl? Please. If there's an uncle like me as a magical girl in this world, show 'em.
Huh, there is one. A black-haired magical girl from some internet clip flashed in my mind.
Eh, our situations are worlds apart. Whatever.
"Y-You're serious... How is this even possible...?" Popo stared long, then deflated its tail and flopped limply in midair.
"Told you. Keep doubting and I'll get hurt, Popo."
Not really hurt. Just something to say. Faking offense, I picked up a small bag rolling on the living room floor.
Inside were snacks from the subway convenience store earlier. Why buy them? Cravings hit hard sometimes.
"Popo. Like chocolate?" I pulled one out and shook it. Popo's droopy ears perked up.
"Th-Thanks, Mir..."
"Didn't say I was giving it." "Huh?"
Just testing. I peeled it quick and popped it in my mouth.
Nom. Mmm, sweet and delicious. Mana drain making me low on sugar? Or this body's taste buds sharper? Tastes way richer than usual.
Chocolate's this good? Gotta eat it more.
"Aww, seriously! Mir, you're so mean! Teasing people—no, mascots like this!"
Popo buzzed over my head, whining, but I ignored it and ate the rest.
Popo, Popo—that's social life. Watch and learn. Nom nom.
* Afterward, we stayed in the living room practicing all sorts of magic. From basic telekinesis levitating objects to coating the body in mana for strength enhancement.
Snatching chips from Popo's hand without moving a finger, or using Popo for self-table tennis a few times—now mana felt like an extra limb.
Thus, in perfect shape, we stood at the front door again.
"Great! We're fully prepped!"
"Yeah."
Creeeak. Stepping out, orange sunlight lingered thicker in the hallway. Not evening yet—perfect playtime, around 4 p.m.
"Let's head out again! This time we nail it for real, Mir!" Popo buzzed ahead, bursting with energy.
Where does that tiny body get all that vigor? Amazing.
Nothing particular to do, I nodded vaguely and followed, when a question hit me.
"So, Popo, how do we find magical girls?"
Popo seemed to know where they'd pop up earlier and now. Some method?
"Hehe, curious? Fine, Lord Popo will tell you. Lord Popo can read mana flows where monsters appear!"
Monsters draw magical girls like flies, so basically a magical girl detector. Popo struck a proud pose.
"Oh." Smarter than I thought. Nice one, Popo.
Wait... Could I borrow that power, make a monster alert app, sell it premium? Rich forever, no work, living it up...
"...Mir, your eyes look scary right now. What're you thinking?"
"Nah, nothing. Just some social contribution ideas."
Not like I'd actually do it—I'm no thug—but the fantasy brought a smile anyway.
Pushing aside visions of buying a building cash, I snapped back to reality.
"Hurry, Mir! Mana reaction nearby this time. Almost there!"
"Yeah."
Into the lengthening late-afternoon shadows on the street, we stepped out once more.