What Is a Magical Girl, Really? (8)
“Why don’t I have any Unique Magic?”
I brought my staff down on the final monster’s skull, cracking it open. The once-holy silver staff, glowing with an almost divine luster, was now caked in filth.
“Complaining?”
“Not complaining. Just wondering. They say any magical girl who truly understands her Root awakens her own Unique Magic. Yet here I am, the walking exception to that rule.”
The absolute truth of Magica simply didn’t apply to me. Strangely, it didn’t bother me. After all, I was an outsider in this world. Maybe it was only natural.
I cleaned the staff with a simple daily-life spell and glanced at Yuni. As always, the little creature refused to stay still, zipping around like a hyperactive moth.
“I don’t know the exact reason. And I doubt anyone in this world ever will.”
“That’s an awfully definitive answer.”
“I’m your mascot. No one knows you better than I do—not even those dusty old scholars. When it comes to you, I’m the highest authority there is.”
“I see.”
It was true. If even my own mascot had no answers, no one in Magica ever would.
“You sound a little indifferent.”
“Must be your imagination.”
“Well, you’ve always been blunt. I’ll let it slide like usual.”
“Anyone listening would think you were my lover.”
“We’re much closer than that.”
“That comment was genuinely unpleasant.”
“It’s true, though… You’re so mean, Cosmo.”
I left the whining creature behind and headed for the shelter. Startled, Yuni quickly flew after me.
“Your shoulders are going to fall off.”
“But… your shoulders are so comfortable.”
“Why would the shoulders of a tiny girl like me be comfortable? They’re neither broad nor solid.”
“There’s such a thing as vibe.”
“That’s ridiculous.”
Ever since becoming a magical girl, I’d carried the cat-like Yuni on my shoulder whenever nothing urgent demanded otherwise—just like that old celebrity who used to walk around with a cat plush on their shoulder. Actually, it wasn’t that I carried it. Yuni simply climbed up whenever it felt like it, then purred contentedly while making the most displeased face imaginable.
With Yuni perched on my shoulder, I crossed the ruined wasteland and reached the shelter. The moment I arrived, I checked the magic barrier and scanned for any signs of intrusion. There was always the chance that monsters or other creatures had set traps.
Once I confirmed everything was clear, I finally allowed myself to relax. I released my transformation and collapsed onto the torn, broken bed. Yuni naturally claimed its usual spot in the process.
“So the D2 sector is done.”
“Yeah. I won’t feel at ease until we check D3, though.”
“Once we reclaim the whole D area, we might finally get some breathing room. How are things on the Association’s end?”
“Thanks to us tearing through the front lines, it sounds like they’re having an easier time than before. They say they can hold.”
“That’s a relief.”
Having somewhere to rest my body helped me unwind. The creeping laziness that followed wasn’t exactly welcome, but my exhausted body needed the break. I had no choice but to lie there.
One of the best parts of becoming a magical girl was the stamina. A body that could easily go a full week without sleep suited my personality perfectly. I hated wasting time, so being able to skip sleep and use every second productively was ideal.
Even now, this was a precious rest after nearly two weeks of nonstop fighting. A body that had operated without sleep for that long could recover with just a short break. That part, I genuinely liked.
“Cosmo, are you asleep?”
“No. Just resting with my eyes closed.”
“No matter how urgent things are, you still need proper sleep. I think this every single time—at this rate, my magical girl is going to collapse from overwork before any monster even touches her.”
“I’m always careful to prevent that. Like right now.”
“Sigh… If only words could fix you. When the world improves even a little, you’re going to rest. Though I know you won’t even pretend to listen.”
“I’ll consider it.”
“Will I have to force sleep magic on you eventually?”
“You’re my mascot. Since when do mascots harm their magical girls?”
“It’s not harm, it’s treatment. When you lock onto a goal, you overwork yourself to an insane degree. If I weren’t here as your mascot, nothing could stop you.”
“I suppose that’s true.”
A heavy wave of exhaustion rolled over me behind my closed eyelids. I was more tired than I’d realized.
“Then I’ll leave it to you.”
“Honestly, Cosmo…”
I heard a small chuckle, then felt a weight settle on my chest—the weight of one cat. Then came the pressure. Knead, knead. It moved from my chest to my arms and legs. Yuni’s special massage.
“Whew… That actually feels really good.”
“Your reaction sounds like a middle-aged man’s.”
“Well… it’s accurate.”
Someone once said that anyone who finished military service automatically became an uncle. I didn’t agree with the statement, but by that logic, I definitely qualified.
“Now that I think about it, you used to be a man, right? I keep forgetting.”
“On the outside I’m a frail little girl, but inside I’m a sturdy old man.”
“Hmm… That must feel pretty strange.”
Thud. Yuni’s massage stopped.
“So is that why there’s something wrong with your Root?”
“…Still on that topic?”
“Yeah. If there’s any difference between you and other magical girls, that’s the only one.”
“But we have no proof.”
“True. Not even a hint, so it’s hard to say anything with confidence.”
Even a hypothesis was meaningless without experimentation. Yuni seemed to reach the same conclusion, because the kneading resumed.
“It would be nice if I could use Unique Magic.”
“But do you really need it? You already have the Halo System.”
“I was just imagining what would happen if I applied the Halo System to Unique Magic.”
“Surprising. I didn’t think you were the type to daydream.”
“I’m not that rigid.”
“Yeah, right. Every time I said ‘What if I did this?’ you’d snap, ‘Instead of imagining stupid possibilities, move for one more second!’”
“Did I really say that?”
“You did!”
I couldn’t remember it clearly. But Yuni was probably right—I wasn’t the type to indulge in that kind of imagination. I didn’t do regrets or optimistic what-ifs.
“Maybe I’m just tired. My brain must be broken after pushing myself to the brink all day.”
“You could have taken it easy. There was plenty of time.”
“Because there was time, I pushed harder. Those things bite the moment they see an opening, so I have to keep the pressure on while I still can.”
“…Massage over. Rest properly now.”
“Thanks.”
Yuni’s massage really did help. The cool relief that came as blocked channels opened up felt wonderful.
“I’m exhausted too. I can’t even lift a paw.”
“Don’t you mean paw instead of hand? You’re a cat.”
“Oh, right. I am a cat.”
“……”
What exactly was this creature? Did it sometimes forget it was a cat?
For a while we lay there in silence, simply resting. Just as I started to think I might actually fall asleep, Yuni spoke again.
“When are you getting up?”
“Probably three hours or so.”
“Then straight to scouting D3?”
“I think so. I’m curious how the survivors will move after we wiped out the rest.”
“You’ve gone past workaholic and straight into ghost territory. Magical girls aren’t supposed to be like this…”
To the clearly fed-up creature, I gave a single reply.
“Am I a normal magical girl?”
“When you put it that way, I’ve got nothing, Cosmo.”
“Sorry.”
Silence returned. Yuni didn’t show it, but it was clearly exhausted. It had to be at least as tired as I was. A mascot’s stamina wasn’t all that different from a magical girl’s, so when I hit my limit, Yuni must have felt it too. The fact that it had kept fighting without stopping meant it wouldn’t be strange if it passed out at any moment.
“Cosmo… are you asleep?”
“…Didn’t you just ask me that?”
“You’re still awake.”
This kid, honestly.
“I’ve been thinking.”
“Yeah?”
“I don’t think your Root is broken or distorted. If it were, you wouldn’t have been able to reach it in the first place.”
“True. Modifying the Kernel and Core at will would be impossible without understanding the Root.”
“Everything from here on is pure intuition. No theory, no logic—just the gut feeling of your mascot.”
Yuni spoke with complete seriousness, as if this was no joke.
“Maybe, Cosmo… you can only awaken your Unique Magic after you return to your original world.”
“…Why do you think that?”
“Because from the moment you decided to become a magical girl until now, you’ve carried that one wish the entire time. The Root I see in you is incredibly vast and deep. I think your true Unique Magic might only rise from within it once you begin pursuing a new desire that comes after fulfilling your current goal.”
“If that’s the case, I’ll never get to use Unique Magic.”
“Why?”
“Because Earth won’t need magical girls anymore.”
“You really don’t understand, Cosmo.”
Yuni sounded almost pitying.
“Every world needs magical girls. Anywhere hope, dreams, and wishes are required—they’ll always be needed.”
Geez. Being a magical girl really is a difficult existence. That was the thought that came to mind after listening to Yuni’s words.