Chapter 90
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 90
Chapter Title: The Two Faces of the Magical Girl
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As the sweltering heat faded and a cool breeze began to blow, people started venturing outside with a bit more comfort in their hearts.
Even after walking for long stretches, sweat no longer poured down like rain, and running around diligently left them feeling refreshed by the crisp autumn wind in no time.
The perfect spot to enjoy such weather and moods was, of course, the park.
Even during weekday lunchtime, crowds flocked to the park, picnicking on the grass or playing badminton.
And in places teeming with so many people like this, uninvited guests were bound to show up eventually.
- Whiiiiiing―
"Kieeeeeeh..."
A monster resembling a gargoyle came flying in from afar, whipping up fierce winds...
"KieeeEEEEEEK!!!!!"
"Kyaaaaah!!"
"It's a monster!!!"
It began attacking the citizens who had been enjoying a peaceful moment.
- Whiiing― Keeeiiing―
Sharp gusts sliced through the air like blades, cutting down park structures, and the debris got caught in the storm, hurtling toward the people.
"Hide behind the buildings!! Stay away from trees or streetlights!!"
The trees planted in the park and the streetlights illuminating the paths were sliced apart all too easily, so the citizens hurriedly took cover behind the park restrooms or concession stands.
"This way, slowly! We're blocking the flying debris!"
Soon, armed probationary agents arrived and began guiding the sheltered citizens to safety.
"Binding chains... Saint Chain Stroke."
- Whiriririririring―
A holy voice rang out from behind the evacuating crowd.
With a calm yet forceful cry, chains emitting sacred light appeared, binding the monster that had been ravaging the park with flapping wings.
"KieeeEEEEEEK!!! Kieeek!!"
With its wings and limbs completely restrained, the monster thrashed in fury.
It let out ear-piercing shrieks while struggling desperately to break free.
"Struggling against the chains won't help. It's especially lethal to wicked sinners like you."
A magical girl appeared before the monster as it desperately tried to shatter the chains and escape, her face adorned with a benevolent, holy smile.
"The sacred light that upholds justice... Magical Girl Serael. I will judge you, vile sinner, right here."
The girl had long silver hair cascading down to her knees and crimson eyes.
Wearing an outfit fit for a saint from a fantasy game, she raised her hand toward the monster with a fresh, gentle smile.
"The light of judgment that incinerates evil... Judgment Ray!"
A brilliant golden magic circle formed at her raised fingertip.
A dazzling beam shot skyward from within the circle, then came crashing down toward the chain-bound monster.
- ZZZZAPPP―!!!!
The area was engulfed in brilliant light, like a lightning strike, blinding everyone around.
"KieeeEEEEEEK?!?!"
In the blinding radiance that made it hard even to open their eyes, the monster's shrieks turned to screams as its body burned from the beam.
Soon, the beam's dazzling light slowly faded, revealing the monster's charred corpse collapsed on the ground.
"Waaaaah!!!"
"The magical girl defeated the monster!!"
Cheers erupted from the citizens watching the battle from afar.
"Hee hee... I'm glad you're all so happy."
Magical Girl Serael watched the monster's corpse crumble away, shyly smiling at the cheers and praise ringing in her ears.
- Shoooo...
And with that, the monster vanished completely, not even a speck of dust left behind.
"If another monster appears, I'll rush over and protect you all!"
Confirming the monster's total annihilation, Serael nodded, then waved cheerfully to the cheering citizens.
She politely clasped her hands and bowed in greeting, after which a brilliant light—like the one from the beam—began enveloping her body.
"Well then, farewell..."
With her final goodbye... Magical Girl Serael vanished from sight.
Meanwhile, in an office at the Magical Girl Management Bureau headquarters.
"Haaa..."
Once Magical Girl Serael returned from her mission and released her transformation, she reverted to an appearance so different it was hard to believe it was the same person.
"Heh heh... Uh heh heh... The people... they cheered so much..."
Dressed in a thick sweater, a long skirt down to her ankles, and even a cardigan draped over it all—an outfit that looked stiflingly hot just to see.
Gone was the benevolent, gentle figure wielding sacred light; now she hunched over with a creepy grin.
This was Serael's true form—the kind of girl who'd be called a "gloomy big-breasted otaku beauty."
"Work's done..."
Having finished her duties as a magical girl, Serael picked up a manga.
She put her round glasses back on—removed for the transformation—and dove into reading with wide eyes shadowed by dark circles.
"Um... Miss Serael?"
"Ehehe... What's this... so dangerous..."
Even as her manager called her to report on the mission's aftermath, she was too fixated on the heroine's fanservice scene to look up.
"Haha... At it again."
The manager scratched his head with an awkward smile, clearly used to this.
"Miss Serael...?"
Only after forcibly taking the manga from her hands did Serael jolt upright and look at him.
"Hiiik?! Y-Yes... Yes?!"
Her eyes were like a rabbit cornered by a predator.
"As I always say, reading manga is fine. But please focus a little when I talk after you get back."
"Sorry... I'm sorry... Really, I'm so sorry..."
The manager hadn't even raised his voice, yet Serael trembled as if on the verge of tears, bowing her head deeply.
"No need to apologize that much. Anyway, here... Just read this analysis of this week's battle data."
"Y-Yes... Okay..."
The situation left the manager feeling awkwardly guilty for taking the manga.
Seeing how frightened she was, he softened his expression and handed her the tablet with her battle data analysis along with the manga.
"Hmm..."
Metrics on time per battle, energy expended, contribution of her skills to monster elimination.
Serael's face turned serious again as she reviewed the various analyses.
'As a magical girl, she's flawless... So why is she like that off-duty? I really don't get it.'
From monster dispatch times and magic potency calculations to her benevolent, kind demeanor toward citizens as the city's hero.
As the manager's inner monologue noted, Serael had no shortcomings as a magical girl.
The problem arose when she was just "human Jenarin."
Despite her pretty face and glamorous figure, her slouched posture and creepy laugh made people hesitate to even talk to her.
Plus, her obsession with subcultures like manga and games, and her hypersensitive reactions to the slightest word—it made handling her a chore.
"I... I read it... It's... a bit worse than last week..."
"The metrics might look that way, but a closer look at the footage shows something else."
On the monitor the manager pointed to, Serael's battle footage played.
Dispatch speed and magic usage frequency might have increased, but she moved her body far less intensely in actual combat.
"Less movement... and avoiding enemy attacks is important too."
"R-Right... I see..."
"Probably no more dispatches today, so relax. But you know you can't tune me out completely, right?"
"Of course... Hee hee..."
At the permission to relax, Serael grinned and reopened her manga.
She immersed herself for hours without even sipping water, and before long, sunset brought quitting time.
"Shall we wrap up now... and head out?"
"You... go first... I haven't finished reading yet..."
She told her manager to leave ahead since she hadn't finished, then refocused on the manga.
'Really... Can't stop her.'
He knew she got like this when hooked on new manga or games, so he nodded familiarly and gathered his things.
"I'll head out first then. Don't stay too late, okay?"
"Hehe... Heh heh heh..."
Dozens of minutes after the manager left...
"Haa... That was fun..."
Finally finishing the entire series, she set the book down, stretched, and straightened her slouched back and shoulders.
'Now home for some anime with dinner.'
She slung her bag—covered in anime character keychains—over her shoulder, pocketed her smartphone, and headed out of the office.