The Strategy Meeting (1)
"For now, our top priority is adapting to life in this city. We need to build a solid position here, earn some trust, and make it easier to move around."
The Cookie Fairy continued, having shifted from her cat plush toy form to her human shape just moments ago.
"Anyway, that's the plan, so even if it's hard to accept, just adapt. At least the guys here won't do anything that hurts too much. You're not a virgin anymore, so no point whining about it now, right?"
Her words were a bit harsh.
This city overflowed with sexual harassment and sex. Women were seen as mere toys, meat toilets, cock sleeves, or breeding stock—nothing more.
To thrust her into such a place without explanation and tell her to play the part of a meat toilet while adapting to a world where common sense didn't apply. And to top it off, brushing it off with "it's fine since you're not a virgin."
But Cookie was in no position to do otherwise. As a fairy, she didn't fully grasp human sensibilities to begin with, and right now, there were no other options anyway.
Above all, Cookie had sized up Black Twilight as the type who wouldn't move properly in extreme situations unless pushed hard from behind.
She'd braced herself for some whining, but...
"...? Yeah. Got it. I'll tough it out."
To her surprise, Black accepted it with unexpected docility.
Now Cookie was the flustered one.
"Huh? You're really okay with it?"
"Well... I don't know if I'm okay, but for now?"
Black, sitting on a cushion placed directly on the floor, added by way of explanation to Cookie's bewildered expression.
"I mean, after living through today, it wasn't as bad as I thought. More normal than expected? I didn't notice anything too weird. People were friendly. Feels like it might not be that hard to adapt..."
Cookie's expression grew even stranger at Black's words.
But seeing Black motivated was a good thing, so Cookie just nodded without pressing further.
Instead, Er, who was perched on a chair hugging its backrest, chimed in.
"Still, if it gets too tough to adapt, just say so. I'll ask Liliza if we can get you the same treatment as me."
"Like yours?"
"Yeah. Liliza made some adjustments so I could adapt easily here."
Er tapped her head as she spoke.
"I can turn the hypnosis switch in my head ON or OFF at will. I already had a hypnosis program implanted from being captured by the Mech拉克 before, so she just gave me control to toggle it."
To live here, she had to act like a magical girl dominated by hypnosis.
Er figured it might be easier to actually be under hypnosis.
She'd had the program implanted from the start and had been through enough that being violated under its control didn't faze her much.
So she'd reactivated the once-disabled program, adding only the ability to control it so she could still work as Pure White.
That led to her current situation.
"Normally, I set it to specific times or situations, regaining my senses then. The me you met during the day was under hypnosis. How was it?"
"...Didn't notice anything off."
"Really? Well, today was just moving in and getting dorm orientation, so nothing major happened. Anyway, that's how it is."
Additionally, Er in her normal state couldn't clearly remember what hypnotized Er experienced.
It felt vaguely like a dream.
"Yeah. Memories aren't sharp, but from what I vaguely recall, you did a great job acting today, Black. You're not actually under real hypnosis modding, right?"
"No... Liliza installed a dummy program, but..."
So the daytime Er was the hypnotized version. Black hadn't noticed at all. Maybe because everything that happened was so normal.
"Anyway, glad you accepted it so readily. That's what matters. If it really gets tough, tell Er. Can't make you quit, but I can make you not want to."
"...I'd rather not."
"Then deal with it. Whatever. Let's drop this and talk future plans. I'll share my investigation results."
With that, Cookie waved her hand in the air, summoning a translucent holographic projection—like a 3D image.
Unlike Mech拉克 tech, it was pure magic.
Cookie used it to show several Earth regions and Mech拉克-occupied cities there.
Some were marked in red.
"I've been getting help from collaborators here and there for the surveys. Haven't found our target yet, but it should be soon. Our main goal is preparing to move fast when we do, plus sabotage on the city's sexual politics—"
Cookie's explanation continued.
Clear, concise, and easy to follow, accompanied by the magical hologram.
As Black listened intently, she timidly raised a hand midway.
"Um... Cookie, can I ask something...?"
"What."
"Not sure if I should ask, but... what's this 'target'?"
Cookie blinked. Glanced at Er. Back at Black.
"...I didn't explain?"
Black nodded. No, she hadn't. At least not in Black's memory.
Cookie crossed her arms, stared at the ceiling, then the floor, and sighed.
"So you've been following us blindly without knowing what we're even doing. How can you be this dumb."
"Wh-who're you calling dumb! I just heard you needed help, so I...!"
"Then you're just a sucker. Thanks, but it makes me uneasy relying on someone like you."
Black bristled with indignation, but Cookie just grinned, baring her teeth.
"Kidding. Sorry if I didn't explain—I'll do it now."
Cookie continued.
"We're looking for one magical girl."
"...? A magical girl?"
"Yeah. A magical girl. Not just any—the strongest magical girl."
The strongest...? Black blinked at the grandiose term.
It sounded like a kid's game, but Cookie's serious face made it impossible to dismiss as a joke.
Er on the chair supplemented.
"She's the real deal. Back in the day, the Mech拉克 even marked her as a top-tier threat. I doubt dozens of magical girls combined could beat her. I'm certain."
Good lord. A magical girl that strong existed?
As she listened, Black noticed Er's wistful expression—like lost in memories.
"You know her?"
"A little. Fought alongside her once. She helped me out too."
I see.
More credible coming from someone she'd met personally than some stranger.
Black almost thought it sounded like delusion or rumor otherwise.
With Er's addition done, Cookie took over.
"That magical girl contracted with me, like you, Black. And in my view, not just my contractors—even among all fairies' contractors... no one's as strong as her. I vouch on my fairy name."
"Dumb, naive, bad personality, foul-mouthed eternal NEET, ridiculously lewd, unlucky and always dragged into trouble... but her power is undisputed—the strongest."
Way too harsh an assessment. Really the strongest?
Black's face twisted, but Cookie pressed on solemnly.
"Her name is—Kay."
"The one we must reclaim and secure first... Earth's hope."
Cookie explained with a hint of irritation, yet fondness like reminiscing an old comrade.
The meeting wrapped up soon after.
Cookie reverted to fairy form and returned to her tasks, while Black left Er's room for her own.
Lying on her bed, Black stared blankly at the ceiling, lost in thought.
Dominating her mind was the "strongest magical girl" from the meeting.
The strongest. What kind of magical girl was she? Black had never heard of her. Never seen her.
How strong to make Cookie say that...?
More than that.
Cookie didn't say outright, but...
From the gist, Black could guess her situation.
Even that strongest magical girl had lost to them, no doubt enslaved as a hypnosis drone somewhere.
Lost despite being strongest. Even if they found and recruited her, how much help would she be?
Well, doesn't change what I have to do.
Whatever, that was Cookie's job to figure out.
Black would just help Cookie and Er however she could.
How much good a pathetic shut-in loser like her could do... who knew.