#MagicalGirl #Military - Floor 2

Mana had jumped from 0.3 to 16.1, then exploded to 536%—surpassing the 15.5 Jin So-yul had accumulated by the time she'd reached the fifth floor.

And his appearance... a black tactical uniform, complete with tactical boots, gloves, and protective gear. Bulletproof vest and helmet for defense, even with night-vision goggles attached. A pistol and magazines on his belt, a knife strapped to his thigh.

"...Looks pretty cool, huh?"

But why was this a magical girl? On the tablet screen, he looked straight out of Black Ops.

Kim Woo-jin immediately shouldered an assault rifle. If you squinted through a magical girl lens, it might pass for a magic wand of sorts. A blue pulse throbbed along the barrel.

The goblin warriors roared and charged again—all six at once.

Bang—! One mana round pierced the lead goblin's armor clean through. A massive hole tore open in its gut, entrails spilling out.

Bang! Baaang—!!! The second and third followed. Shot after shot, each one dead-center in the chest.

The fourth flanked him, but Kim Woo-jin's body twisted naturally. The muzzle swung, locked on its head, and fired.

Splat—!!! A gruesome sight. Its head burst open, brains oozing out—grotesque enough to make you wince.

Then the fifth leaped from behind. Without looking, Kim Woo-jin swung the rifle's stock.

Thwack—! As the goblin tumbled across the floor, a follow-up shot finished it.

Finally, the sixth. The last one, terrified by the carnage, turned tail and fled. But Kim Woo-jin dropped to one knee, steadied his aim, and...

Bang—!!! It crumpled forward, back perforated.

I shot to my feet without thinking. Clapped like mad. From now on, Black Ops was canon magical girl material! Anyway, total time? About two minutes. And most of that was before the transformation—the rest flew by.

Jin So-yul had taken roughly three minutes on floor 2. Even then, she'd poured every ounce of her S-rank swordsmanship and nine years of experience into it. Of course, she did it tagless and untransformed, while this was Kim Woo-jin's post-#MagicalGirl result—apples to tactical nukes. Still, #MagicalGirl was insanely powerful. Come to think of it, #Regression had straight-up rewound time, so yeah, these tags packed serious punch.

The rifle dissolved into particles of light. His outfit lost its glow, reverting to normal clothes.

"...Constellation?"

"Do I have to say that ridiculous transformation line every time?"

"The magical girl outfit... isn't that vibe, so I'm relieved."

"...You are smiling."

"...Got it. Can't be helped. They say great power comes with great responsibility—if reciting that line gets me the Elixir, fine."

Leaning against the wall, Kim Woo-jin let out a deep breath. A far cry from his overwhelming presence mid-transformation, exhaustion etched his face now.

"So... what's with this squashed chick?"

"I'm not a chick, chirp! This is the great mascot, Chirp-kun, chirp!"

"Mascot... so it is a real magical girl thing..."

"Why's the contractor a guy, chirp?!"

"...What?"

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"This ain't magical girl material, chirp! Your vibes are all gloomy, and you taste awful, chirp!"

"What the hell's this crazy chick babbling about?"

As Kim Woo-jin said, a squashed-looking chick floated beside him. Dressed in a tiny uniform, no less.

It didn't show in the info, but a legit mascot? A bit disorienting, but it could serve as support for now.

"Constellation."

"When I transformed... I never learned to shoot, but the stance and aim just came naturally."

"That was this one's help, chirp! Be grateful, human, chirp!"

"Annoying speech pattern... Can I just deep-fry this thing?"

"Too much, chirp...! Cherish your mascot, chirp! Other magical girls don't treat 'em like this, chirp! Not that you're one, chirp!"

"...? Other magical girls exist?"

"Not here, chirp! Plenty elsewhere, chirp!"

"...Makes sense, given the towers. Anyway, Constellation—with this power, I can keep climbing."

"Don't ignore me, chirp!"

"Body feels heavy now that the transformation's worn off. Time limit?"

"Combat's over, so you're relaxing, chirp!"

"...Maybe."

"Exactly, chirp! But you did great, chirp! Without intense resolve, it'd have failed, chirp! Most magical girls flop first try—you nailed it, so you've got talent, chirp! Minus points for not being a girl, chirp!"

"...Should I really fry you?"

"......"

"......"

"D-don't look at me like that, chirp..."

Kim Woo-jin peeled off the wall, standing. Blood seeped from wounds across his body, but slower now—#MagicalGirl's basic regen kicking in, probably.

"Anyway, calling it here for today."

"Return scroll...? Sounds like a spell to head back to base."

"Spot on, chirp! From floor 2, you can enter the tower anytime, chirp!"

"How do you—"

"Chirp-kun, chirp!"

"...Know that, Chirp-kun?"

"Obviously...! Chirp...? No idea, chirp. It just popped in my head, chirp."

"...We'll figure it out later. Heading out, Constellation."

"Yes. After visiting A-rin. Thanks again today, Constellation."

I watched until he exited the tower and tore the return scroll. Only then did I exhale. No reward in the report sucked—probably no duplicates since Jin So-yul already cleared it. New CP meant she had to push uncharted floors, six and up.

Switched apostles. Jin So-yul filled the tablet.