Love and Justice... Sigh!
Letting out an indescribable grotesque howl—!!!!!!!!!—the erosion host charged at Eirin again. The sight of a 4th-grade erosion host barreling forward evoked a natural disaster. But facing that ferocious calamity head-on, Eirin unleashed a torrent of mana, radiating intense cold. The chill pouring from her body soon took the form of an ice dragon, slamming into the erosion host.
Crack! In an instant, the erosion host was completely frozen solid. To encase a monster of that massive size in ice—it was a scene that laid bare Eirin's own status as a force of nature. Yet her opponent wasn't so easily felled.
Krunch! The frozen surface shattered under sheer brute force, and the host let out a deafening roar. The cracks on its body regenerated in real time. Watching this, Eirin's expression twisted ever so slightly.
...It'll take at least five more minutes for any 4th-grade or higher purifiers to arrive as reinforcements.
She wanted to end this quickly, but the host's regenerative power was beyond expectations. It had been months since she'd encountered a beast like this.
No time to waste.
Dragging things out to wait for backup might work, but the surrounding area would erode into a Backworld by then. No thanks.
"....."
Silently glaring daggers at the erosion host, Eirin's black horns began to turn pure white. With them, her frost storm intensified.
!!!!
Refusing to back down, the host bellowed again and launched its massive bulk forward. That's when—
"To protect peace! I have arrived here and now!"
A voice like an innocent child's rang out, and from somewhere, a red shield whooshed in.
Boom! It smashed the host mid-charge toward Eirin right out of the sky. A cute firing sound, but the destructive power was brutal—something even Eirin, wielder of draconic might, couldn't unleash lightly.
"...."
Reeling from the shield's pummeling, the host shrank back at this new foe. Seizing the breather, Eirin turned to spot the attacker.
There floated a magical girl with androgynous beauty, cheeks puffed in outrage.
"I don't like you!"
* * *
The Peace Guardian Magical Girl Park Jeonghyeon possessed strength befitting a 4-star consciousness. Far more mana than my previous life's self. Muscle power unbelievable for a girl's frame. And techniques packing scorching firepower. Perfect for a situation demanding overwhelming force. A shame I couldn't keep this powerhouse synced indefinitely.
But it wasn't all smooth sailing. My current form was straight out of a game, web novel, or anime—a full-on magical girl.
Syncing doesn't drastically alter facial features. Just hair, outfit, and a slight height shrink. But damn, why did it suit me so well? My base looks were handsome enough that glancing in the mirror made me think, Is this really a guy? It felt like something core to my manhood was crumbling.
Ah, well, at least the equipment was there. Borrowing a woman's consciousness didn't flip my gender. The real kicker was elsewhere.
"I don't like you!" = Fuck off.
"Ughhh... My head's throbbing..." = This is fucking headache-inducing.
Try to say what I want, and it auto-filters into magical girl speak(?). Yep. Syncing forces your speech patterns to match the consciousness's!
Actor syncs felt natural since they mirrored my own style, but this over-the-top personality? Crystal clear. Forced concept acting at my age? Sigh. No wonder things were going too smoothly.
Of all places, in front of Eirin—someone I'd see around Providence—playing magical girl. The grim future ahead left a bitter taste.
"....Who are you? This place is dangerous. Step back now."
As I internally cursed up a storm, Eirin shot me a frosty glare and warning.
Wait, who are you? She seriously doesn't recognize me? My outfit, hair—all the key identifiers—were now magical girl spec. No surprise if she couldn't tell.
Testing the waters, I tossed out a probing line.
"Really now~ That's so hurtful. Have you forgotten me already?"
Instant regret. The speech pattern, fuck. Save me.
"...I don't recall meeting anyone as strong as you."
Eirin shook her head slightly. Confirmed: she had no clue it was me. Good—no awkward blushes later.
"One last question. Who are you? If you don't reveal yourself, I'll treat you as an enemy."
The frost storm swirling around her churned, ready to crash over me. Mid-fight, some unknown barges in—who wouldn't react like that? Time to ease her guard.
"I'm the magical girl who arrived to protect peace! To defeat that giant monster, I need your power!"
I meant: I'm not your enemy—we need to team up against the host. But...
Goddamn, this sucks.
"....."
Luckily, she got the gist; her wariness eased.
"If I truly saw you as a threat to peace, my attack just now would've hit you, not the monster, right?"
I drove the point home as she pondered. That sealed it—she met my eyes and slowly spoke.
Smart call. She needed backup now; making me an enemy would've been suicide. Risky gamble, but the right one.
"...This thing regenerates better than expected. Even torn limbs regrow instantly. Even cooperating, subduing it won't be easy."
Regen even from severed parts? Classic regen-type erosion entity. The kind needing heavy firepower dumped fast.
For reference, regen-types were my least favorite in my past life. My mana shortage meant no one-shots.
But now? Different story. Magical girl sync gave me a host-slaying finisher, backed by ample mana.
Me now? I could do it!
"I have a way to protect peace! Just wait a sec!"
Fuck this speech, seriously. I'd crawl into a hole if one appeared.
Whether sensing my turmoil or not, Eirin nodded promptly.
!!!!
The erosion host roared at us both. Not idle in the meantime—tons of erosion entities had gathered around it. It'd spawned that many already? If I hadn't come...
Unthinkable.
"Then, I'm counting on you!"
Taking a quick breath, I gripped my ornate staff and began chanting.
"...When all hearts unite, they create a miracle."
Massive mana flowed from me, pink geometric shapes layering around.
"That miracle shall soon become the light that banishes darkness!"
The shapes aligned into a pattern. Sensing the insane mana condensing? Host and minions lunged at me.
But I didn't stop. Yonghui had my back.
"Midwinter."
Crack!!
Eirin's frost storm exploded outward, flash-freezing everything—seats, stage, walls, ceiling, and all the host's minions targeting me.
No wonder they called her Yonghui. Amid awe at her prowess, a pounding headache hit. Mana depletion. My reserves nearly dry.
Linger too long, and the host's erosion waves might corrupt me. But no worries—they'd vanish soon.
My incoming attack packed that punch.
"In the name of peace, I unleash it!"
Hummm...!
Shapes swirled to the staff, forming a magic circle. Its glow blinded, eyes barely openable.
"Hoo..."
Arms trembling, I poured strength in, aiming at the frozen foes.
And shouted.
"Radiant Peace Buster!!! Take this!!"
Then—
Kaboomboomboomboomboom!!!
A blinding flash erupted, and a red laser, poised to devour the world, blasted from the staff.