Chapter 16
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 16
Chapter Title: The Magical Girl with Jet-Black Hair Wielding a Sword
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Magical girls are supposed to wear frilly, cute dresses by default,
and wield sparkling gem-encrusted magic wands.
But here... instead of a fluttering dress, she wore sturdy armor over it,
and instead of a magic wand, she swung a massive sword.
"Haaah!!!"
She handled a sword as big and heavy as her own body with effortless freedom,
and her battle cry and momentum were second to none among any warriors.
Magical Girl Athena, true to her name drawn from the goddess of war,
swung her blade toward the monster to protect the city's citizens.
- Claaang— BOOOOM—!!!
The sword strike, infused with immense power, slammed down on the monster's solid head.
It didn't carve a deep wound, but sent the beast flying back an incredible distance.
She had repelled a monster that must have weighed hundreds of kilograms with nothing but her sword.
"You're incredibly tough... Guess I have no choice but to use something else...!"
Athena's breathing grew heavier as the battle dragged on,
yet she grinned as if she were enjoying it.
- Thud—
In an instant, she kicked off the asphalt and leaped high into the air.
"Take this!!! Haaah!!!"
While airborne, she raised her sword overhead,
then swung it down with a mighty shout and full force.
- Shwoooosh—
A sharp slash resembling the sword's afterimage flew forward at invisible speeds...,
"Gwaaaaugh!!!!!!"
...and neatly bisected the monster's body, which had seemed impossible to cut.
"Hope that had enough power behind it..."
After unleashing the slash, she landed lightly on the ground with graceful steps,
brushing the sweat beads from her forehead with her fingertips.
Of course, her eyes remained fixed on the monster.
If that slash hadn't dealt a fatal blow to obliterate it,
she'd have to dive right back into combat.
"Phew... Good thing."
After maintaining her battle stance for a moment,
the monster's body finally began crumbling away like dust.
"Woooaaah!!!"
And then, the citizens' cheers erupted in unison.
"Thank you!"
Athena didn't wave enthusiastically like other magical girls in response to the cheers,
but her clear voice and poised, elegant gestures drew even greater admiration.
"Are you okay? You fell earlier."
"I'm fine! It doesn't hurt at all thanks to you, sis."
She remembered every injured citizen and personally checked on their condition.
Her sharp, serious image might make her seem distant,
but she often showed this kind and caring side, earning her huge popularity.
"Well then, I'll be off!"
With a fresh, magical girl-like smile tossed their way,
Athena kicked off the ground once more and vanished into the sky toward another location.
Meanwhile... in one of the offices at the Magical Girl Management Bureau.
- Shooo...
Athena returned from battle, released her transformation, and reverted to her civilian form as Yoon Si-a.
"Manager-nim? Manager-nim?"
The manager, who would normally debrief the battle with her,
was nowhere to be seen in the office—likely away.
"Huh? What's this?"
While glancing over the desk in search of clues about his whereabouts, her eyes caught a document.
"If it's this urgent... of course you had to go."
The document explained why the manager was absent:
His only family member had suddenly collapsed from illness,
and since he was the only available guardian, he had no choice but to take leave.
Athena felt a pang of regret learning this late,
but she hoped even more that he'd spend as much time as possible with his family.
'His mother... He always spoke of her with such special affection.'
He often brought up his family with deep fondness,
so she could easily understand despite the potential disruption to operations.
Someday, they'd reunite as manager and magical girl with good news.
Athena nodded, thinking that.
"A temporary manager has been assigned..."
Standard protocol was to assign a formal manager immediately.
However, with many managers recently quitting due to excessive workloads,
there were no available personnel for her.
Thus, until a new one was hired, she'd be under a manager currently handling another magical girl.
"The office... Just one floor up from here."
Magical girls required more meticulous management than one might think.
Plus, suddenly working with someone new could be awkward,
and sharing briefly with another magical girl might be inconvenient.
But Athena wasn't one to complain about such things.
Besides, the temporary manager only needed to step in for essentials,
and she worried more about troubling others.
"Past here... This is it!"
Athena arrived at the temporary manager's office, guided by the document.
She didn't urgently need a manager starting today,
but she'd come first to introduce herself out of courtesy.
- Knock knock knock—
Unlike typical magical girls who might fling the door open,
Athena knocked politely, mindful of business hours.
But there was no response.
She could hear someone inside, so he wasn't away.
'Maybe he's super busy...?'
- Knock knock knock—
Assuming he was too focused on work to hear,
she knocked harder to make more noise.
"Yes! One moment, please!"
A hurried voice responded soon after.
He must have been tied up with something else.
'I wonder what he's like...'
She rarely interacted with managers other than her own,
so her imagination began to wander.
- Creeeak—
After a surprisingly long wait,
the door opened, and the manager inside greeted her personally.
"Haha... Sorry for the wait."
The temporary manager was drenched in sweat, as if he'd just finished a intense workout.
He gave an awkward smile and ushered her inside.
"No, no! If anything, I hope I'm not interrupting your work..."
Seeing his sweaty state made her feel even guiltier,
so she bowed her head in apology instead.
The manager waved it off casually.
"I'm the manager for Magical Girl Flora here—
Baek Jae-hyun."
The temporary manager assigned to Athena was Jae-hyun, Flora's regular manager.
He first introduced his own charge, who lounged arrogantly on the sofa.
"Hello... Nice to meet you. I'm Magical Girl Athena.
I'm truly sorry for the sudden imposition."
"Hmph... So you know you're the one causing trouble?"
Flora, wiping sweat just like the manager for some reason,
clearly wasn't thrilled about Athena's sudden visit.
Of course, despite her rude tone,
she was rearranging the sofa to make Athena more comfortable.
"If you say it like that... Athena-nim will feel uncomfortable."
"What? You're my manager, not hers!
Why are you taking her side instead of mine?"
"Haha... You're at it again."
Her stunning looks—shining golden blonde hair and blue eyes—clashed with her brash personality.
And the manager took it all in stride without a care.
Just listening to them, it sounded vicious,
but to Athena's eyes, they seemed like bickering friends.
"Um... You don't need to mind me,
so please just act normal so Flora-nim isn't inconvenienced."
Worried it might escalate into a real argument,
she tried mediating, though it seemed unlikely.
"Hmph! I just don't like it anyway."
Proving her worry unfounded,
Flora huffed and turned away to fiddle with her smartphone.
"Would you like some coffee? Or maybe a cool soda?"
"Ah! Cool water is fine."
Flora was still grumbling, her mood not fully thawed,
but Jae-hyun paid it no mind and handed Athena a glass of cool water.
"She's always like this. Must be uncomfortable for you."
He whispered discreetly.
Flora's prickly personality was just her everyday norm,
so he hoped Athena could bear with it.
Athena beamed and nodded at his words.
A smooth, harmonious vibe like with her previous manager was nice,
but this lively, squabbling energy felt fun too.