Chapter 11
Chapter 11
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 11
Chapter Title: Cheer Up! Cheer Up!
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After the explanations from both rookies were finished, they didn't drag out the time and quickly finished their preparations before heading up to the pre-prepared sparring arena.
On the surface, it didn't look particularly impressive, but if one knew how many barriers were layered just in this one location, most Magical Girls would probably be shocked that such a thing was even possible.
Of course, I wasn't one of that "most."
I just thought it was such a pointless waste of effort.
With about four Magical Girls who were proficient enough in their abilities and specialized in deploying barriers, they could easily create something like this.
During the time this program was running, there were probably some maintaining the barriers somewhere, and I could see about three more on standby in case of any unexpected safety accidents, ready to intervene if needed.
They were all veterans with at least four or five years of experience as Magical Girls, yet here they were wasting their time and energy watching rookies who'd only debuted a year ago fight—it made me want to sigh.
But since I was here getting paid, I had nothing to say about it.
Money is the enemy—what else could be the enemy?
This program wasn't really about making money anyway; it was funded generously by some rich backer for the purpose of motivating and inspiring junior Magical Girls, so there was nothing strange about it.
'Now I see why they brought me in too?'
According to my contract, my role was as the MC. And, though it was unlikely to happen, to lend a hand in case of any emergencies.
Like stepping in if the rookies got too heated during their fight.
So they needed a big name for the finals, but most famous Magical Girls had high fees and no time, which is why they probably picked someone highly ranked but cheap to hire.
"Alice Seniorrrrr!! Me!! I'll do my best!!!!!"
...And there was the one down below sparkling her eyes at me... What was her name again? Black something... Anyway, the black one seemed to really be Alice's fan.
She was probably cheap too. A rookie who'd made it to the finals and was a fan—might as well invite her once.
But if you think about it that way, what about the one over there... I couldn't remember her name either, but wasn't it unfair to her on the opposite side?
Calling a Magical Girl who only one side likes could make it feel like the format was openly favoring that side...
"Alice Senior-nim!! I love you too!!!"
...Ah. Right.
You two handle it yourselves.
I'd just dip out as soon as commentary ended, timing it right.
-Throb throb-
'Why are there so many guys lately acting like my juniors on their own?'
The blonde rookie I met not long ago, and these two here.
I had no idea what I'd done to make them like Alice so much still.
Should I just stop showing up to programs like this altogether?
But then living expenses...
'This is driving me crazy.'
While I was thinking all that inwardly, the outward Alice was faithfully performing her role.
She cupped her hands into a heart shape and sent winks to the fans going wild on both sides—a perfectly Alice-like response—and happy screams erupted from both sides again.
"Wow, as expected of Alice-nim. We've had many guests so far, but yours is the hottest reaction! A word of encouragement for Black Rose and Berta?"
This wasn't in the script, as far as I recalled... But things didn't always follow the script from start to finish, and they'd mentioned they might ask for ad-libs sometimes, so I wasn't flustered.
"Alice loves you all too. Show me all your sparkling starlight right here today. Alice will cheer for you."
""Yes!!!!!!""
"Alright, then... 3... 2..."
"Berta! I just found a reason why I have to beat you right here!"
"1..."
"I'm going to win here!! And get the trophy from Alice Senior no matter what!"
Ah, do I have to hand it over?
As long as it's not too flashy, I could do that much...
-Ding ding ding!!
"Match start!! Both players may now use magic!"
-Fwoosh!
Right after the bell rang, light gathered in each rookie's hands, manifesting their dual pistols and staff.
Even for Magical Girls, they wouldn't carry weapons of all different sizes, shapes, and effects around all the time; normally kept in an unimplemented state, they were manifested into their hands when needed.
In most cases, they manifested them before heading out, ready to jump into combat the moment an Abyss Being entered their sight, so real-time manifestation like this wasn't something civilians saw often. But thanks to the rule requiring weapons to be manifested after the match started, the audience got to see it a lot.
Those too slow to manifest, taking forever to even make one weapon, would've been eliminated from down there long ago, I figured.
As expected of finalists, both sides finished manifesting within 30 seconds.
Slow as dirt compared to Alice... but what do you expect from the rookie league?
An 8-year vet complaining that 1-2 year rookies were worse than her would just be ridiculous.
Even I, twisted as I was, could think that much.
"Black Rose...!! You're not the only fan of Alice Senior-nim!! I want the trophy too!"
I never said I'd give it.
The one holding the staff... Ah, right, I remembered. Berta shouted at her opponent while slamming the tip of her staff into the ground.
It wasn't a small wand but a staff about the size of a person, embedded with four gems shining in colors representing the four major elements.
-Boom!!
-Fwoosh!
"Ahh! Berta player! Coming out strong from the start! Elemental Burst! A finisher right off the bat—is she going for a quick decisive battle?!"
The moment the staff's tip hit the ground, a magic circle spread out from that point, its mana threads rising into the air to form four relatively small magic circles.
It was blatantly advertising, "Something big's incoming."
"Not gonna let you!"
-Tat tat tat!!
Even in a rookie match, she hadn't reached the finals for nothing— the moment the magic circles appeared, Black Rose began her proper counter.
She swung her pistols in the hands in a flashy manner, aiming and firing at the magic circles in just 2-3 seconds.
It was hard to believe for a girl who looked so fragile on the outside, with reaction speed and dexterity far beyond normal humans—not even trained agents could match it—but that's what Magical Girls were.
From the moment they took in their Mascot's mana, even before transforming, they had the physical ability to easily subdue ordinary people, and after transforming, comparing them to normals was pointless.
Hypothetically, to subdue a freshly awakened Magical Girl with zero combat talent, you'd need at least a pro fighter.
If she truly had no talent and hated fighting people, she might just guard and take hits without countering, so you could subdue her that way—but if she had even the personality to put up minimal resistance, good luck blocking a simple body slam.
Oh, and by the way, guns are equalizers. Until the Magical Girl gets fully accustomed to mana.
Enough boring explanation—back to the two rookies' fight.
-Pang!
"Ah?!"
"I expected that much!"
The mana bullets Black Rose fired so boldly collided with Berta's pre-prepared shield and vanished.
She hadn't made it to the finals for nothing either.
Openly displaying the magic circles to bait attacks, then placing shields along the incoming paths—a psychological ploy that might not seem impressive on paper, but was a valid strategy in Magical Girl fights.
How often did Magical Girls, who mostly fought beast-level Abyss Beings—and very rarely ones with human-level intelligence—get to use mind games?
Most Magical Girls were specialized in overpowering and driving off Abyss Beings with brute force; those specialized in outsmarting them with tactics were rare unless that was their whole concept.
Honestly, Alice fell into the brute force category too.
Among Magical Girls, the ones known for using their heads? Maybe... three?
-Click clack click clack
"That's far enough, okay?"
"Hmph. Still so prickly. Can't even have simple physical contact between fellow Magical Girls."
"Alice belongs to everyone, after all. No one can monopolize her."
From behind the commentator's booth came the click-clack of heels as a woman slyly tried to hug me from behind but was stopped 3 meters away, letting out a familiar complaint.
"Ah, ah! Emerald-nim!"
"Louisel? No need for greetings—focus on commentary. I'll chat with Alice for a bit. You can handle the sound alone, right?"
"O-of course! Ahh! Berta player! The Elemental Burst is finally complete! Black Rose player is in crisis! Whoa?! Black Tide Dance here?! Is she going to shoot down the entire Elemental Burst barrage?! Is this the right call! Both players' finishers clashing from the start of the match!"
'...Pros are on another level.'
Seeing her fill the sound so generously on her own, I set aside my worries, turned my chair, and looked at the woman called Emerald.
Emerald hair and eyes matching her name, her mystical appearance accentuated by a silver dress—this was one of the few I'd thought of earlier.
Activity name: Emerald. A first-generation Magical Girl who was active alongside Alice in her early days, one of the most famous in the country.
Even while active as a Magical Girl, she actively showed her face in public activities, using the massive capital from that to run various businesses supporting Magical Girls—earning her S-Rank 3rd place through merit and fame.
"And I paid good money to bring you here because I missed you. At least right now, I'm your employer—can't you let me hug you once? I hear Magical Girls do free hugs for fan service these days."
She was the planner of this Magical Rookie Cli... Ugh, the naming sense was trash. Anyway, the one who'd planned this, run it to the finals, and called Alice today.
At least for now, she could be called Alice's employer—a Magical Girl.