My Enhancement Has Been Exposed!
“Whoa! Holy crap! That firepower is insane! Hey, enhance me too!”
The mallet-wielding magical girl's eyes gleamed as she thrust her weapon out at me.
The stuck-up brat, on the other hand, bit her lip and jerked her head away, as if her pride had been wounded.
You, I swear I will never enhance you.
But… maybe I could lightly touch up the mallet? Another snowflake effect, probably. What kind of effect would that one produce if I enhanced it, I wondered?
The instructor watched all this for a moment, deliberated carefully, then stopped the mallet girl, who just kept begging for an enhancement.
“That's the end of Miss Yeon-sol's training for today. Quit pestering her.”
“Instructor! If I got enhanced too, I could get stronger—!”
“Nothing's been confirmed yet. It won't be too late to do it after we've verified Seo-yoon's results further.”
“Why does only Seo-yoon get—”
Just as the mallet girl was about to protest again, that representative, still reeking of alcohol, spoke up in her languid voice.
“Noooow, don't worryyy. A few days' wait won't change the worldd. You're doing fine already—no need to get so impatieeent.”
…That kind of rubs me the wrong way. Makes it sound like I'm some kind of cheap trick.
But perhaps that wasn't her intent, because the representative just smiled slyly, looking at me as she spoke.
“You'll be fiiine. Your chance will come sooON. Head home and rest for todayyy. I'll transfer the money before long.”
Well, this much is fine, I suppose. I earn money AND get to do some killer enhancements!
Of course, after that I went right back to my life of unemployment.
Playing games again, enhancing things whenever I got bored — settling back into my good-for-nothing routine.
A few days passed like that, when an unusual community post caught my eye.
They took down a Main Villain-Class anomaly…
Most greenhorn magical girls usually take a step down and hunt Scene Stealer-Class ones instead. Impressive.
But wait, the person in the thumbnail looked kind of familiar?
I clicked on it, and I couldn't help but be stunned.
Because the attached photo showed Ahn Seo-yoon — the same girl I'd seen just days ago.
And on the gloves in the picture, the blue flame patterns — the traces of my enhancement — still remained.
So I checked the article itself, and it was a sight to behold.
…Don't tell me that's because of my enhancement? Is that why she looked that strong — because of what I did for her?
As I was mulling over the article, the one right below it caught my eye.
And the photo that came with it… the stuck-up brat?
That red hair and those insufferable yellow eyes.
I remembered her contemptuous expression as she called her own senior trash, and that wounded pride on her face.
Watching that girl get broken is going to be so satisfying.
Well then, maybe I'll crack open a can of beer at home and watch it live?
Just as I was thinking that, a text message arrived. I checked the sender — it was from my agency, the White Trajectory Office.
…That woman who reeked of booze?
It wasn't like I had any reason not to go, so three days later I headed to the Special Magical Girl Stadium where the duel was being held.
A field about half the size of a soccer pitch, surrounded by several tiers of spectator stands — it was opulence incarnate.
As I marveled at the sight and stepped through the entrance to the stands, someone up in the VIP section waved at me.
The representative I'd glimpsed briefly during training.
When I climbed up, she had left the seat beside her open and greeted me with a mischievous grin.
“Right heeere. You actually caame. Come sit heeere. This spot's got the best view.”
Isn't she being way too casual? This is an important event where her own agency's trainees are going head to head.
And showing up to an occasion like this in a plain sweater and shorts — talk about marching to the beat of her own drum.
“My name's Im Hyun-ji. People call me Bullseye, but just call me Unnie Hyun-ji, eaaasy.”
Me? Call you unnie? Is she insane?
“Absolutely not.”
“I'm wayy older than youu, thouuugh? I'm twenty-eight.”
“I'd still call you Representative. Never unnie.”
“Awww, you're so cold~.”
Representative Hyun-ji then held out the milk carton she'd been clutching.
“Care for a driiink? It's deliciouuus.”
I'd read about this somewhere on the internet.
Hardcore alcoholics supposedly hide their liquor inside milk cartons when they go to places like baseball stadiums.
“…I'm good. Not in the mood.”
“Ohh come oon, I can see it in your eyes. This is milk. Miilk. Just because I smell like booze, you assumed it was liquor, didn't yooou?”
Can she read minds? What is this woman?
Perhaps she caught my flustered expression, because Representative Hyun-ji smiled and opened the carton to show me.
…It really is milk?
“Prejudice is a bad thing, always. Just like how getting strong easily isn't always a good thing, riiight?”
Not wanting to hear any more nonsense, I cut straight to the point.
“…Why did you call me here?”
“Gotta see it for myselff. How Seo-yoon beats Soo-bin. You need to see what your ability can do with your own eyes, don't yaa?”
Still, I hadn't expected her to invite me all the way here.
Whether she read my mind or not, Representative Hyun-ji began explaining in her leisurely drawl.
“You know Soo-bin's ability is clairvoyance, riiight? That's why her hero name is Hitman — folks said she's like an assassiiin.”
I remembered the brat proudly declaring her own ability like that.
“I don't see why she's so cocky over something as simple as seeing far away.”
“Mmm, clairvoyance alone would be weaak, truee. But it seems she can also see the flow of mana — where her target's about to movvve.”
Okay, that's actually kind of broken. No wonder she's that confident.
Meanwhile, Representative Hyun-ji carried on, paying me no mind.
“Seo-yoon's ability is Consecutive Strike. Every time she hits the same spot, the damage doubles. Third hit is 4x, fourth is 8x….”
It doubles each time? So just ten more hits and she'd be past a thousand times over?
“That doesn't sound like an ability to scoff at.”
Representative Hyun-ji added a supplement in her unhurried voice.
“But stack it too much and she can't hold herself togetheeer. The one throwing the punch has to endure the recoil hersellf.”
Recoil, huh. Is she talking about Newton's third law or something?
Still, for that kind of attack power, it seemed like a more than fair price to pay?
But as if she'd read my skeptical thoughts, Representative Hyun-ji wore an enigmatic smile and continued.
“Well, it's fine fooor now. Seo-yoon's satisfied tooo. Hanbyeol-unnie looks like she's about to get things started, so let's just watch for nooow.”
And with those words, the two fighters entered from opposite gates of the arena.
Tidal Boxer, Ahn Seo-yoon, clad in her transformation outfit of a blue sports bra and hotpants — and Hitman, the stuck-up brat, appearing in a sleek black-suit transformation outfit.
Both outfits really did have style to them, I'll admit.
While I was lost in those idle thoughts, a blonde woman in a flashy purple suit appeared at the center of the arena with a microphone in hand.
“Hello, everyone! I'm Lee Han-byeol, CEO of MGB Broadcasting and your eternal MC, here to host today's match!”
The MGB CEO herself is hosting? Talk about hungry for the spotlight.
“Now then, you two! Ready for today's match?”
“Of course.”
As Ahn Seo-yoon answered calmly, the brat's eyes flared into axe-blades and she erupted in fury.
“I'll prove it by stomping this trash senior who couldn't even earn her place!”
“Haha, wonderful! Both fighters… fight freely until one of you is knocked out or declares surrender! Then… begin!”
At CEO Han-byeol's resounding declaration, the match began. And in that same instant, the brat leveled her anti-materiel sniper rifle at Ahn Seo-yoon.
“Melee-only dumbasses should just eat bullets!”
The moment Ahn Seo-yoon took her guard stance, a sharp crack! of gunfire stabbed at my ears. A mana round streaked toward her, tracing a blue contrail.
…Mana or not, how is anyone supposed to stop a bullet?
But that was the misjudgment of someone who didn't know magical girl combat. A hexagonal translucent barrier had formed around her gloves.
“She blocked it with barrier magic. She'd have been on shaky ground in the past, but this time she's got plentyy of room to spare.”
Representative Hyun-ji narrated leisurely beside me.
“Is that also the effect of my enhancement?”
“Probably? Judging by that, I'm pretty tempted myseelf.”
But the brat wasn't about to stop there. She reloaded and fired round after round.
Two blue contrails surged toward Ahn Seo-yoon.
“Why won't you go down like last time?! Just fall already!”
But Ahn Seo-yoon, shielded by her barrier and guard, blocked both shots entirely.
“Heeey, Soo-bin's in for a rough tiiime. This is probably the first time her attacks haven't landeeed. She got so cocky with all that firepower — hopefully this teaches her some humiliiity.”
There was something in that languid voice — a note of relief that hadn't been there before.
So even that representative wasn't too fond of the brat, huh?
Three shots, four — the barrage of bullets was relentless, but Ahn Seo-yoon marched steadily forward behind her barrier.
At last she broke through the baptism of gunfire and closed in on the brat, planting a straight punch into her before she knew what was happening.
The brat hastily withdrew her rifle and, just like Ahn Seo-yoon, threw up a blue barrier.
And when her fist, too, was stopped by the barrier, the brat's face relaxed in relief.
…Wait. Wasn't that boxer's ability supposed to double her damage with every hit?
“One more.”
She drove her fist into the exact same spot — and a massive crack spidered across the barrier.
Right, it's 2x.
“What the—?!”
The brat lowered her sniper rifle and scrambled to back away, but a boxer is faster than a gunner.
“If one won't do it, then another.”
Her glove, blue flames blooming over it, struck the center of the crack once more — and the 4x impact crashed into the barrier.
CRASH!
The barrier, pushed past its limit, naturally couldn't hold. With the sound of shattering glass, the punch carried through and connected with the brat beyond it.
“Gahk!”
The fist buried itself in her shoulder, and the brat — her precious sniper rifle flying from her grip — went hurtling across the arena.
After being flung a good distance, she tried to force herself up, but her strength had utterly failed her; she collapsed in a heap.
Wow. That's genuinely insane.
“Hitman is KO! Victory goes to Tidal Boxer!”
At CEO Han-byeol's declaration, the crowd erupted in cheers.
Everyone chanted Tidal Boxer's name, but Ahn Seo-yoon merely surveyed her surroundings impassively and gave a single nod.
Yes. This enhancement is going to make me serious money.
With this kind of power, she wouldn't even need to hunt anomalies like other magical girls — the money would come rolling in.
In fact, that was exactly why I'd made her the request.
Meanwhile, CEO Han-byeol left the brat sprawled out cold on the ground, walked over to Ahn Seo-yoon, and held out the microphone.
“Congratulations on your victory, Tidal Boxer! You've beaten Hitman, who has always looked down on you — you must feel proud! How do you feel?”
“I simply set an example as her senior. Nothing more, nothing less.”
Both Ahn Seo-yoon's voice and her expression remained perfectly calm.
“Ooh, that's our Tidal Boxer! Now that's what a magical girl should be!”
CEO Han-byeol, for her part, put on an exaggerated look of admiration before firing off her next question.
“By the way, was the secret to your newfound strength hard work? Tidal Boxer's work ethic is famous, after all!”
“My own effort certainly played a part. But it wasn't the only reason.”
At that, CEO Han-byeol's eyes went round, as if the answer had caught her off guard, and she pressed again.
“Oho! I didn't know there was another factor for you, Tidal Boxer, the epitome of a hard worker! And might you tell us what it is?”
Before the match, I had asked Ahn Seo-yoon a favor: if she won, she should mention me.
Once they see that wands can be massively enhanced, imagine how hyped everyone will be! This is marketing, people!
And so, Ahn Seo-yoon held up her glove to CEO Han-byeol and spoke.
“There was a magical girl who enhanced my gloves. Thanks to her, I was able to win.”
At the sight of the gloves, CEO Han-byeol's eyes gleamed with intrigue. She must have sensed that the mana radiating from them was anything but ordinary.
“Wait — a magical girl who enhances wands? Is that person here right now? You can't just drop a bombshell like that and leave us hanging!”
Then Ahn Seo-yoon turned her gaze toward Representative Hyun-ji — no, precisely, toward me sitting beside her — and spoke.
“A rookie magical girl of the same White Trajectory Office. Miss Chae Yeon-sol.”
With that deadpan declaration, every camera in the arena swung toward me at once.
And picturing the countless magical girls who would be watching this broadcast, I shouted in my heart.
Heh. This is me, girls.
From now on, yours truly, Chae Yeon-sol, will handle all your wand enhancements.
In exchange, you'll have to pay up, though.
A lot. Fufufufu.