I Became a Magical Girl (Part 1)

Slithering tentacles, glistening flesh. How utterly revolting. I've enjoyed this form long enough, yet it has only made me crave a new body more.

One small step closer to reclaiming my forgotten true self.

This wasn't defeat. It was release. Another form would come, but I would remain myself. I am the Demon King Takilas. At the same time, I am the traffic-accident corpse reincarnated as Private Lee Jin-ah.

Nothing could be easier. A new form to satisfy my desires. A stronger Demon King. A stronger magical girl.

[Preparation complete]

"Of course we knew that. The magical girl contract through the World Tree Yggdrasil is a long-practiced ancient fairy agreement. So we have no idea what might happen during the process. It's extremely rare for a human girl to become a magical girl, and even rarer still... except when the girl is not a girl at all, but a boy."

I felt no worry. The outline was clear. No matter what mysterious cosmic tree this Yggdrasil truly was, it could never crush me.

[Connection established. Come now, give me a new body!]

Following the fairies' instructions, I poured my mana into the connector's command.

And in that instant, a wave of overwhelming power crashed over me. I stood in an entirely different space.

"You've got to be kidding. I thought you were just a tree."

"We do, of course."

Whether it was a tree in the cosmos or not, this place was far beyond my understanding. Beneath the colossal tree stood a woman.

"I've rarely seen a being equal to me."

"I've endured far worse in the past."

She reached out, grabbing my tentacles and shaking them up and down. She was no pushover. At the very least, she rivaled a Seraphim of the Celestial Realm.

"But since you've come looking for me to become a magical girl, you are also my pitiful, weak child."

"Unfortunately, my direct descendants have forgotten how to communicate with me. The memories of every other magical girl who has ever faced me have been erased as well..."

She smiled bitterly. Her eyes, like cut gemstones, held no strength now.

"So you will pass this along for me. Tell them to stop the overheating competition."

"That makes sense. Magical girl candidates, come here."

She led ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠me toward the tree. It was even larger than I imagined. Not even the World Tree the elves treasured.

[What exactly are you planning?]

"Originally, this place was where we turned the dreams, hopes, and latent potential of the candidates into reality. But you have something that exceeds all of that. So ultimately, the only thing left is to create your transformed body. After all, that's what your goal was."

Yggdrasil pointed at something as she guided me to the tree.

"I don't want to deal with that problem myself. The solution is simple: observe the forms of countless magical girls recorded in history."

She urged me to press my tentacles against the tree.

Without thinking, I did. At the same moment, a fierce shock slammed into my body. Just like when I first arrived here.

"Ugh..."

"Open your eyes and look at your new self. From here on, it's all yours."

It had changed. I could feel it clearly.

My body had changed. The countless tentacles were gone. New sensations flooded in. A nose and mouth appeared. I touched my face with my hand.

"U-uhahaha!"

Laughter wouldn't stop. This was what I had always wanted.

My face reflected on the glossy floor. A beautiful girl with long, wavy black hair cascading to her waist, red eyes sparkling, stared back at me.

Whether the body was petite or plump didn't matter. Having a human body rather than a monster was enough to drive me mad with joy.

"Is it that good? I heard you could have been a king of an entire world, able to have anything."

"I don't know how you heard that, but this universe is far larger than I thought. And that guy was far too pathetic. That's why. I never forgot him, and I always missed him."

I controlled my emotions. It wasn't over yet. I'd gained a body, but it wasn't free.

"Your personal color is... dark black. The deeper and darker the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠color, the heavier, darker, and colder its power."

"Does that mean anything?"

"Most magical girls' power manifests according to their nature. But pure black is rare in history."

In short, darker meant more ominous, extreme, and crude. It didn't matter to me at all.

"Next is the outfit that matches the color. Choose for yourself."

Sets of clothes floated up before me. I hesitated. Even I, who was quite excited right now, thought they were unusual.

"Are you insane?"

"Outfits also follow the magical girl's nature. Unfortunately, examples are few... because there aren't many magical girls with that kind of nature to begin with."

"At least make it cute! This is just naked!"

A century-old tentacle monster saying something like this was enough to make it scandalous. The more serious issue, it seemed, was that there weren't enough sample outfits.

"Damn it..."

I had no choice. I picked the one with the largest area of fabric.

Basic design: cropped white top with short sleeves and a short black frilled skirt.

"The outfit and everything attached to it displays your values and nature, and it itself becomes power. A lack of color and darkness represents inner coldness. The more exposed, the more it symbolizes inner suppression."

"...Suppression?"

The clothes fitted themselves one by one.

A black garter belt appeared, then black thigh-high stockings climbed up my legs. Black fingerless gloves reached up to the fingers on my arms.

On the top, a black leather harness filled in and connected to the skirt like a harness.

The last piece was a grand military-style jacket that settled lightly on my shoulders. It was oddly formal, but it didn't matter. It suited a Demon King's authority perfectly.

"This is awkward. I could die."

"In my opinion, it suits you well."

"You don't know."

I clacked across the floor, tugging at the high-leg underwear line that crept up past my hips, muttering. These clothes were not only unfamiliar; the body itself felt strange.

"But it's not over yet. Next is the armament. Do I need it?"

"Let's test it briefly."

I didn't need much. I checked my inner mana. It was fine. So instead of tentacles, I needed a substitute.

"Weapon? Just give me anything."

I grinned at the writhing shadow on the ground. Now my shadow would replace the tentacles.

"The weapon has been imprinted on your body."

A tingling pain. When I looked at my abdomen, a dark tattoo had appeared there. Fitting for the strange outfit, the placement was odd.

"Then the final step. It's time to give yourself another name as a magical girl."

"There's no need. I'm Demon King Takilas. That's my only name. A Demon King denying his own name is denying the followers who serve him."

"I see. That'll do."

She handed me a ring engraved with my name. I placed the connector there and slipped it onto my finger.

"Takilas. My child, leave this place and realize justice."

"Where's the casual talk?"

I laughed. That was my last memory from here.

*

"Aaaah..."

Yuria covered her mouth, watching the returning figure. It was nothing like the existence that had vanished with the connector.

Her outward appearance was that of an ordinary girl, yet the power within was overwhelmingly strong.

"Success... Your Majesty."

"How interesting. Our contract doesn't ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠apply only to the Fairy Realm and Earth. Thanks to that, the remaining power that couldn't enter this body is now resting in my shadow."

She removed the military-style jacket and chuckled curiously.

Rana and Yuria, however, watched every single movement.

"You two should return now. I'll finish up here and come find you. As you know, I'm not alone."

She flicked her hand. A dimension gate formed, writhing.

Yuria's eyes widened in shock. She had never seen a fairy use magic like this before.

"Surprised? Even if it looks like this, I'm the Demon King. Of course you wouldn't expect me to not know my mana is composed of it."

"...Then we'll be going."

Rana rushed toward the gate. Yuria followed, swallowing dryly.

'She's not a magical girl at all. Inside... she's truly the Demon King. Wake up, Yuria. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠That flamboyant uniform isn't decoration.'

Even as she crossed the gate, Yuria slapped her own cheek to snap back to reality.

[Robert! Major incident!]

The gate closed. Back in her tentacle form, Takilas called Robert.

"Yes, Your Majesty."

"I'll be away for a while. If there's an emergency, contact me on the emergency line."

"Y-Your Majesty is leaving?"

[I'll call it a personal errand.]

She couldn't quite say she was going on vacation. She awkwardly covered for it. Of course, no one could stop the Demon King from doing as she pleased.

There was no one who could interfere with this escapade.