What Is a Magical Girl, Really? (9)
The city’s skyscrapers sprawled beneath her feet like a glittering carpet. From the highest floor of the tallest building, the view through the massive glass windows stretched across the entire metropolis and beyond, as if the world itself lay open for inspection. Yet the two beings resting in this space showed not the slightest interest in the breathtaking panorama.
To them, the scenery outside held no importance whatsoever.
“I called you because I thought it was about time you knew.”
“So you’re finally ready to take action. I’ve been wondering when you’d make your move.”
“I can’t just sit here with my hands and feet tied forever.”
The woman leaned back fully into the luxurious black leather chair. Exhaustion seeped from both her eyes and her voice.
“The abnormal gates keep increasing. If we keep watching from the sidelines, civilian casualties will eventually appear. No matter what methods we’ve tried, we’ve determined there’s no way to stop the abnormal gates from this side… so the only option left is to cross over through the gates themselves.”
At her words, the eyes of the creature floating in midair turned icy cold. A rebuke slipped from its mouth.
“So that’s why you’ve been secretly assembling an expedition team?”
“As expected, you already knew. That I’ve been quietly recruiting members.”
Even under his pressure, the woman didn’t flinch. She politely slid the folder resting on the expensive wooden desk toward him.
“These are the candidates I have in mind. Their skills aren’t bad, and their personalities are decent too.”
“…The post-war generation?”
“Unfortunately… yes. I know exactly what kind of members you want, but I couldn’t get in touch with them. Even when I did reach out, they all refused.”
The pure white cat—Yuni, the veteran magical girl mascot—clicked her tongue and quickly scanned the list of magical girls. For a while, the only sound in the room was the rustle of paper.
In less than five minutes, Yuni had reviewed the entire roster. She set the folder back on the desk with a front paw that still bore traces of pink jelly.
“Will these kids be enough?”
“They’re the best hand I’ve been dealt. I have no intention of doing anything more than this.”
“…Liar.”
Yuni’s golden eyes flashed as she drew closer to the woman. The distance was now close enough to study each other’s pupils in detail. Her vertically slit pupils met the woman’s blue eyes. The pressure was incredibly oppressive.
But the woman did not back down. She simply gazed back at Yuni in silence. The tense standoff continued until the woman finally yielded first. She closed her eyes calmly and let out a soft sigh.
“Both you and Uncle… you’re impossible to deceive. I can’t fool either of you.”
“It’s not that the magical girls on the list are bad. But this alone isn’t enough. You, who always think several steps ahead, wouldn’t possibly stop your plan here.”
“I’m glad you see me so clearly.”
Watching the woman chuckle softly, Yuni thought to herself that position truly does shape a person. Compared to when they first met, her personality had become far more sly. The timid, stuttering, fragile girl from her memories seemed like an entirely different person from the woman before her now.
It was admirable that the girl had grown more assertive, but at the same time, it gave her a headache. Especially since the woman had always possessed a stubborn streak.
Yuni steeled her resolve to persuade her.
“Still, Posiltia. No matter what, it doesn’t look good for you to go yourself.”
“Is it because of that ridiculous title—Association President?”
“Exactly. It’s only been two years since Cosmo handed it over. If a position carrying such enormous responsibility changes hands too frequently, it causes all sorts of chaos in society.”
“But Yuni. Let me be honest. In this era, do we even need an Association President?”
If Posiltia could be swayed by such simple words, she would never have made her plans in the first place. She asked the question with complete sincerity.
“There are no more demon invasions. You know that. Together, we joined forces to prevent even the gates heading toward this side from forming. Magica is more peaceful than it has ever been.”
“Just because it’s full of peace doesn’t mean incidents stop happening. Posiltia, at the very least, we need someone to gather and control the magical girls.”
“The systems and mechanisms to prevent magical girls from becoming villains are already perfect. And if the Association would collapse just because of me, that only means it wasn’t fulfilling its role properly from the start.”
The conversation simply wasn’t getting through. None of Yuni’s logical, reasonable arguments reached Posiltia at all.
“Besides, they still follow Uncle more than me. It’s not jealousy. Everything Uncle built deserves everyone’s admiration—including mine.”
“Even so…!”
“I believe in the good influence Uncle sowed. At the same time, I believe in all the safety measures he prepared. You, who know Uncle better than anyone, surely believe in them too, don’t you?”
At the mention of Cosmo, Yuni finally fell silent. It was a cheap shot. Posiltia knew it and used it anyway—the fact that Yuni always faltered when it came to anything about Cosmo.
“Even without an Association President, the system runs flawlessly. As his successor, I can see no flaws in it. Uncle must have intended this—an organization that functions smoothly even without a leader.”
“So you’re really going?”
“Yes.”
The answer had been decided from the beginning. Persuasion and threats had never been part of the equation. The same resolve she had shown only in the final battle now crackled through the air. Yuni had no choice but to accept Posiltia’s will.
“But don’t worry. I’ve already informed my closest aides. Once the mission is over and I return, I will fulfill every responsibility expected of me as Association President.”
“Then let me ask you just one thing.”
“Anything.”
“Is your true purpose to stop the abnormal gates… or to see Cosmo again?”
“Isn’t the answer to that obvious?”
Posiltia smiled seductively. Her golden hair sparkled under the lights.
Meanwhile, the scene shifted to the training grounds where Seyeol and Yuri were enthusiastically exchanging blows.
“Red.”
“What is it, miss?”
The world was already shrouded in pitch darkness. Aside from the lights glowing inside the academy, the surrounding area was extremely dark. The only illumination came from the faint glow leaking from nearby homes, refracted through the pouring rain.
“What is your Root, Red?”
“…My Root? Ah, you must have heard about it from that child.”
It looked like the rain wouldn’t stop until midnight. The rainfall was unusually heavy for early summer. Staring at the rain-streaked window, the woman called Red spoke.
“Do you wish to know about my own Root?”
“Yes.”
“It seems you want to use my story as reference.”
The woman gently stroked the orchid placed on the windowsill. It was planted in an exceptionally luxurious porcelain pot. Soon, along with the sound of rain, her calm and beautiful voice began to fill the room.
“I… yes. I wanted to protect. Unlike the stories in knightly tales, it wasn’t for the world, but for just one person.”
The girl listened to the woman’s words with rapt attention, careful not to even let her breathing become a distraction.
“I wanted to give warmth even if it meant burning myself. In the end, that person left the world colder than anyone….”
“…I shouldn’t have asked something so pointless….”
“It’s alright. I only shared this because it’s you, miss. Otherwise I would have changed the subject long ago.”
The woman comforted the girl, who was blaming herself for bringing up a needless question.
“Anyway, by never forgetting my original intention and desperately repeating it to myself every night, I was able to reach my Root. Of course, my friend’s help was also very important.”
“That’s right! Red wouldn’t be Red without me!”
Suddenly, an animal appeared out of thin air. An elegant eagle soared gracefully around the room before gently landing beside the girl. Yet the girl didn’t startle at all; instead, she accepted it with familiarity.
“It was a time when the concept of Root didn’t even exist on Earth yet. So perhaps the very first magical girl on Earth to reach her Root was Red!”
The girl lightly stroked the head of the eagle, who had shouted with such confidence, and asked,
“Is that so, Al?”
“Of course! You can be proud of that!”
“It’s best not to trust Al’s words too much, miss. There may be other magical girls somewhere on Earth who have come into contact with mascots. Perhaps even someone close to you.”
“Ah… no way.”
“Mm. It probably isn’t the friend you’re thinking of.”
The woman immediately guessed who the girl had in mind. It was only natural, since the girl often spoke about that person to her.
“Do you want to become like that friend, miss?”
“Y-yes. Even now, just being near her makes my whole body tremble.”
“She’s your muse and your idol.”
“Yes. When I stand in front of her, I can’t speak properly, my head goes blank….”
“That’s it.”
“Huh?”
To the surprised girl, the woman spoke calmly.
“Perhaps your Root is connected to that friend after all?”
“But of course it might not be! It’s good to keep thinking about it. You’re still young and inexperienced as a magical girl, so take your time and consider it carefully!”
“Ah….”
At their advice, the girl smiled softly.
“Thank you. Al. And Red.”
“Anytime, if it’s your request, miss.”
“A magical girl who always works hard is always welcome!”
Both the woman and the eagle were smiling as well.
Encouraged by their words, the girl rose from the guest sofa.
“Do your best, Miss Miju.”
At the woman’s words, Baek Miju paused with her hand on the door, turned to look at them, and said,
“Yes. Next time, I’ll come back as an even better magical girl.”