Emperor Penguin Missiles and a Magical Autograph
"Can you give me an autograph? 'I've started a swift and accurate delivery service. I was looking for new customers, so I came this way.'"
"...What?"
We were chatting right in front of the Magical Girl Association building—so tall you could barely see the top even if you craned your neck—and naturally, there were a lot of eyes on us.
"Isn't that Pronesis and English Lavender?"
"What!? Where!?"
Association staff and civilians alike gasped in surprise at the sight of me.
The stares were getting pretty intense, so I shot her a look pleading for a quick answer.
"Uh..."
But she just stood there, looking dazed, unable to respond.
Hmm.
Showing beats telling.
"Hold on a sec—"
I activated my magic while ignoring the staff member rushing out from the Association entrance.
The scenery around us rippled in an instant, and suddenly, she and I were...
"Take this!!! Emperor Penguin Missile!!!!"
...teleported to the subway station where the kaijin had appeared.
The station we warped to was overflowing with penguins everywhere.
Penguins inside the stalled subway cars. Penguins on the waiting benches. Penguins on the tracks.
And amid the chaos, penguins squawking loudly in human speech.
It felt like we'd stumbled into Antarctica.
Normally, it'd be like visiting a zoo, but the problem was...
"Quack!!!!!!"
"Kyaaak! Help!!!"
...these penguins were attacking people.
After warping the people fleeing from the penguins to safety, I turned to the still-stunned English Lavender.
"Swift and accurate delivery service complete. If it helped, please give me 5 stars."
"Wha!? Uh, yeah... thanks...?"
I accepted her thanks and warped nearby.
The moment I tried to sit on the railing at the station entrance to watch her fight...
Wobble—.
A sudden dizziness hit me, and I nearly tumbled into the nearby pit.
Ah.
Is this that mana depletion everyone talks about?
It was my first time feeling it since becoming a magical girl, and it threw me off a bit.
'You okay?'
I assured Sofia's shaky voice that I was fine and stood up.
Oh yeah, I still had something to do.
"Magical Girl English Lavender has arrived on the scene!!!"
With her back turned as she announced herself to the kaijin, I slipped away for a moment.
Meanwhile, somewhere heating up over the new kaijin's appearance...
The community sites. Specifically, the Magical Girl Gallery, dedicated to all things magical girls.
'Checked everywhere electronics are working. Think everyone's evacuated.'
"Phew..."
Warping others besides myself took a real toll on my mana.
Ignoring the splitting headache and dizziness, I warped back to the station entrance and slumped over the railing.
A cool breeze hit as I sat, soothing my overheated head.
Now I could finally watch Lavender's fight in comfort.
Thud thud thud thud...
Ignoring the helicopter whirring overhead, I watched the kaijin and Lavender duke it out—it looked like the endgame.
Nailed the timing.
I used magic to fetch cola and popcorn from home.
Home was close, and small stuff like this didn't drain too much mana.
Headache worsened a bit, but tolerable.
Munch munch.
"Damn you, magical girl! My plan to turn the world into penguin paradise is ruined because of you!!!!"
Mountains of penguins lay toppled around the kaijin.
Not just that—its body was riddled with holes like it'd been stabbed repeatedly, blood oozing out.
In stark contrast, unscathed English Lavender muttered coldly to the kaijin.
"Whatever."
Yeah, this was the real Lavender—not the dopey face she made around me, but the icy magical girl.
The moment she thrust her spear at it—
"Pe-Penguin Shield!!!"
"Kwaaack!!!!!"
A penguin materialized in midair, taking the hit meant for the kaijin.
"Keep being annoying and you'll just tire yourself out?"
She was fighting without breaking a sweat.
True top C-rank.
"Damn!!!! Penguin Pressure!!!"
The kaijin chanted something, summoning more penguins that lunged at her.
"'Quuaaack!!!!'"
"What are these things."
She dodged with minimal movement, then slaughtered the new batch.
Munch munch.
No pity here.
They were basically magic beasts summoned by the kaijin—more monster than penguin.
"Annoying..."
She gripped her spear in reverse grip.
The air rippled as she did, mana gathering into the spear.
'Mana...?'
Felt like when I cast spells.
"Ha! Finally using magic, eh? Just what I wanted!"
Every magical girl has their own unique magic.
"Confident in defense, huh?"
Mana-fueled spells vary wildly between girls.
"Ha! You bet! Penguin Shield!!!!"
Some spew fire, others heal foes, some just boost their bodies.
"Yeah?"
As many unique magics as there are magical girls.
Mine—as folks guessed—is warp.
Tricky for direct attacks, so I twist my body to make it work.
"Think you can block this too?"
Hers, though—
"I don't know your magic, but layered penguin shields won't be pierced easily—even by a C-rank!"
She twisted her waist, sharpening the spear for a throw.
"Then block this."
A crescent smile curved her lips as the honed dark spear flew toward evil.
───────!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
In a flash, inky light pierced the fiend's horde.
Earsplitting roar and blinding brilliance—I reflexively covered my eyes and ears.
Unique Magic: Penetration.
As the light faded, a spear was embedded in the kaijin's center.
"I-Impossible..."
"Hoo..."
"My penguin army pierced??? Impossible!!!!! This can't be!!!!"
Talking big with a hole through you.
But not for long.
The kaijin's body started turning to ash from the hole, drifting skyward.
"Impossible!!! My penguin army!!!! My ar—"
The other penguins crumbled to dust too.
Plop.
Once it fully vanished, a red magic stone dropped where it died.
Munch—
Ah. Outta popcorn.
Cola too.
Incident wrapped up—time to head home.
Then she picked up the red stone and called me.
"Hey, come here!"
"?"
Mana somewhat recovered, so I warped to her.
"What is it?"
She approached and grabbed my hand, shoving something into it.
"Here. Take this."
This is...?
"A magic stone. If you hadn't shown up, it wouldn't have ended this quick."
Oh.
Unexpected bonus.
I pocketed it and made one more request.
"Thanks. And, um..."
"What else?"
"Can you give me an autograph?"
"...?"
I warped over paper and pen from home, handed them to her. She signed with a dubious look.
"Wow. Thank you."
Hehe.
Got Lavender's autograph—I couldn't help pumping my fist.
She stared weirdly, then squeezed her eyes shut.
"What's wrong?"
"...Nothing."
Hmm. Not thrilled.
"Lavender doesn't make that face."
"...?"
"Make the cold face you had for the kaijin."
She looked at me like I was even weirder.
There's my English Lavender.
As I turned to leave, I remembered something.
I curtsied elegantly, dress fluttering.
"Did you like Magical Girl Pronesis's service? If it helped, please give 5 stars."
"...Hah. Yeah, it helped."
"You'll write the 5-star review, right?"
Review dodgers everywhere these days—even loyal customers need confirmation.
"Got it."
Only then did I warp home.
And one month later.
"Like warm spring sunshine, a new semester full of hope—"
I enrolled in high school.