Imprisoned by a Magical Girl
There was once a nameless girl.
Her parents were unknown. All other blood relations were equally a mystery.
Naturally, a normal life was out of the question, and she was left in a rundown orphanage to endure a lonely childhood.
Even that orphanage struggled to stay afloat by the time she reached boyhood—no, girlhood—and she was forced to wander the streets.
As one might expect, a young girl roaming the streets alone without a guardian was an incredibly dangerous prospect.
But perhaps fate didn't intend for her to just die like that. The girl possessed a talent that allowed her to sustain that harsh existence: minimal innate mana, but physical abilities far beyond human limits.
If she'd channeled that gift into a more suitable pursuit, she might have become a world-class athlete. But for a girl who couldn't even read or write properly, such a path was utterly unattainable.
She survived by petty theft, stealing whatever she needed without hesitation.
Snatching food from poorly secured shops, sneaking into bathhouses and fleeing without paying, finding empty abandoned houses to use as hideouts.
Friends, of course, were out of the question. The only nickname she had was a cruel moniker that reminded her of her pathetic reality.
Her life was, quite literally, a sewer.
Until she wandered into a big city on a whim, met a certain little girl, and received the name Ruri.
“What's your name?”
“...I don't have one.”
“Hmm, then how about Ruri? That's what this doll's named!”
At first, the girl's giggling presence was utterly annoying. Laughter had been a rare sight in her life up to that point—you could count those moments on one hand.
Envy and disdain for what others had were common human traits, but the girl—who couldn't even recite her multiplication tables—simply dismissed it as irritation.
Yet after meeting Brilliant Aster Diamond, the girl—now Ruri—began to think more positively.
How to dress properly. How to eat neatly. How to bathe.
Learning all sorts of things from Diamond turned Ruri's life upside down.
She escaped her long-yet-short sewer existence, gaining new experiences and learning true humanity from a friend her own age.
“Ruri! Hurry up!”
“Yeah...!”
That bright, innocent smile and unwavering confidence—she was irreplaceably precious.
Ruri vowed: For this girl's sake, she'd do anything. And anyone who threatened her would be eliminated.
Rattle—rattle—
Inside the shaking car.
I caught my breath first, then calmly assessed the situation. With my hands and feet bound, it was the perfect way to kill time anyway.
First off, this girl's identity.
The most crucial point: Ruri, the maid who shadowed Diamond everywhere, was actually the magical girl Mica.
And on top of that, she'd uncovered my identity—and the Silver Unit's.
Why does this shit only happen to me...?
In terms of outcomes, I hadn't made any mistakes. If anything, Diamond kidnapping me to her house to monopolize me was the trigger.
She must have investigated me then and dug up Silver Unit intel.
Diamond didn't act any different, though. So was this Ruri's solo operation?
Either way, her bold daytime ambush had left me clueless about the destination, dragged off in this black van.
“Mind telling me where we're headed yet?”
“Do you think I'd reveal your destination? Of course not.”
“Fine, at least give me some water then. My throat's been dry as hell for hours.”
It felt like at least three hours without a drop. If we'd traveled that far, we were probably in another city.
Right now, I just wanted water to clear my head.
“Haa...”
She sighed and handed me a plastic bottle filled with liquid.
Despite everything, she seemed to have some lingering fondness from our past interactions, enough to grant this much.
First reject the big demand, then concede to a lighter one—classic technique. If you're ever kidnapped, give it a try.
Gulp, gulp... “Fuu.”
Having drained the bottle, I seized the opportunity to keep chatting with Ruri.
“Anyway, a magical girl kidnapping someone? You cool with that?”
“Before magical girl, I'm Lady Diamond's limb. Anything threatening her, I'll eliminate without mercy.”
“...I see.”
Kidnapping a human—verging on outright crime. If word got out that a world-saving magical girl did this, her image would tank.
If I were a normal civilian, maybe. But...
I'm a grunt in the evil org that shuts up crying kids. Slap the “villain” label on me, push hard enough, and the backlash flips instantly.
Magical girl Mica, huh.
One of the big three, following Ruby and Sapphire.
Her style: melee combat and assassination via superhuman physical prowess to compensate for low mana. Far from the colorful norm for magical girls.
Maybe that's why Mica ranked lowest in popularity among the four active ones. She rarely showed her face, unlike the others.
Her flashy fights appealed to a niche fanbase, but it was a tiny group.
But her skills are the real deal.
Silver Unit rated her threat level at a whopping 4—higher than even Sophia.
Fitting, really. Against giant mana-dependent monsters, prep helps, but one-on-one? Beating Mica was near impossible.
She instantly spots human weaknesses and habits, exploiting them like a cheat. Even exec Crystal struggled against her.
Why a Brilliant family servant, though...?
Ruri's loyalty to Diamond was genuine. A world-saving magical girl deserved better treatment.
Some unspoken circumstance, maybe?
At least Amber didn't clash with her.
After the semester ended, she skipped the cafe to hang with classmates.
Long term over—excitement's natural. Makeup exam tomorrow, but I'd cut her slack today.
If she'd come to the cafe and noticed...
It could've undone all her hard work. Mica's a monster with overwhelming combat sense and custom martial arts tailored for PvP.
Even if Amber spotted it, beating her would've been tough—especially with mana blockers.
Only I need to be in danger right now. After the exam, the boss'll handle retrieval or not—whatever.
No real harm if I played nice without pointless resistance.
She even warned me kindly. Won't touch me for a bit.
Ruri readily agreed to wait for Amber. Against a worm like me, she could've dragged me off wordlessly.
Meaning, room for talk.
After thirty silent minutes, the car that had barreled nonstop for hours finally slowed.
“We've arrived. Hold my hand and follow. As I said, pointless resistance—”
“Got it. Feels like we took the scenic route—running here means caught in three seconds flat.”
“Quick on the uptake—good. Watch for the step.”
Her small, delicate hand wrapped around my right one without delay.
Petite frame, but calluses from magical girl roughhousing.
Hand-in-hand with a cute girl? Normally thrilling, but...
“Stairs ahead. Step slowly and follow.”
Blinded, yanked unilaterally—heart-pounding in a bad way.
“Gotcha.”
Wary of outside gadgets? Endless stairs down led to a chilly underground spot—destination, probably.
Thud—thud—
“Removing the blindfold now. Mind the light.”
“Yeah, just do it quick. Feels like I'm suffocating.”
Finally free of the vision-blocker, but the long-lost world wasn't beautiful by any stretch.
A prison sprawled before me—one I'd never imagined.
—Clang!
“......”
Ruri locked me in the cell without hesitation.
“Stay put here for a few days. Torture's not my style, but circumstances might force rough measures.”
I'm really fucked.