Chapter 96
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 96
Chapter Title: A Trivial Fight, And That's Why...
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"Transform."
The mint-haired dickhead across from me transformed. I quietly drew my Moonlight Sword in response.
Once her transformation was complete, the dickhead sneered at me.
"That's your weapon? Doesn't look like a magic wand. And where the hell did you even get it?"
"None of your business."
"Ha, fair enough, I guess."
Right now, it was just me and the mint-haired dickhead—Dickhead for short.
We were in the Magical Training Ground.
Not just the two of us, though. Other Magical Girls had gathered around as well.
They formed a big circle around me and Dickhead, whispering among themselves.
I didn't know the exact number, but it had to be most of the girls from the dorm building.
I hadn't told anyone about this secret midnight fight behind the officers' backs, so rumors must have spread. No idea how they all found out.
That's why.
"Hey, wait!!!"
I had no clue how Whitey, charging at me right now, had found out either.
Now that I looked, Octopus Girl and Dyke were standing a bit farther off, their faces full of worry.
Rumors really had spread, it seemed.
I hadn't told them separately, but here they were.
At least it was a relief—this many witnesses meant Dickhead couldn't back out and claim it didn't count later.
"What's going on all of a sudden?! And what's that weird thing in your hand?!"
"It's a long story."
Whitey grabbed me, her face pale as a ghost.
"I'm fine, so call it off now—!"
"Hey, nice and easy—stay out of this."
But Whitey's desperate plea was cut short, futilely.
By Dickhead, standing across from me.
As Whitey bowed her head silently, Dickhead cracked her neck and glared at me.
"Not backing out now, are you? We agreed to this, so let's see it through. Right?"
"Yeah, sure."
She was right.
The moment I left Sora, I'd run into the mint-haired dickhead bitch and made a bet with her.
She called it a Magical Ikusa Battle or something.
They slapped "Magical" on everything.
Not that I cared enough to point it out now.
Anyway.
What I'd put up as stakes was something Dickhead couldn't resist. No way a psycho like her would turn it down.
And right on cue, Dickhead brought it up again.
"If I win, you hand over all your Magical stocks to me. Remember?"
"What about if you lose?"
"Oh, me giving up my vacation this time? Yeah, of course I remember that."
Dickhead nodded, grinning creepily.
"But get this."
Then her grin vanished abruptly.
"You think I'm gonna lose?"
It wasn't just bluff or bravado.
Unshakable confidence in her own skills.
A justified arrogance born from that confidence.
The attitude of a true powerhouse. It had been a while.
"Yeah. You're dick chowder."
"Ha, what the fuck kind of confidence is that, you cunt."
Dickhead's face twisted viciously for a moment before smoothing into eerie calm.
"Anyway, the Magical Ikusa Battle terms are as we said, and it's a straight-up duel until one side admits defeat. Got it?"
"Good memory."
Magical Ikusa Battle sounded fancy, but it was simple.
A clean one-on-one match.
Fight until one admits defeat.
If I lose, I hand over all my stocks. If I win, she forfeits her vacation.
Strip the ranks and throw down, basically.
At that, Dickhead shook her head and shrugged.
"But doing it like this feels off."
"Chicken?"
"As if. It's just the Magical cost-benefit doesn't add up for me. So let's add a Magical condition."
Sudden talk of adding terms.
But I wasn't the one who reacted.
"No, fuck! You steal someone else's vacation and now what bullshit is this?! Come here! I'll 'screen' you for real in the Magical showers!"
"No need for the showers—come to the Magical bunk and let's spar some Magical bedroom arts, you bitch! I'll smash you with White Purple's divine fist!"
Octopus Girl and Dyke, watching from the sidelines, exploded with curses.
"Fine, then don't. I lose nothing if we skip the Magical Ikusa Battle."
"You fucking bitch..."
"Shitcunt..."
But they shut up quick at Dickhead's words anyway.
As soon as Octopus Girl and Dyke went quiet, I turned to Dickhead.
"So what condition do you wanna add?"
"Simple."
Dickhead flashed a sleazy smirk.
"Add breaking one side's weapon as a defeat condition too. How's that?"
"Fine by me."
If anything, it favored me.
The Moonlight Sword won't break as long as my will holds.
No magic can shatter it.
Neither of us seemed the type to admit defeat anyway—this made it clear-cut.
"But we only use weapons fetched by one other person. We stand here and wait. Got it?"
Problem was, that created an issue now.
"So put that shit away, nicely."
"Really chicken?"
"Why act shady? Shouldn't you be grateful? This is better for you. I can't use my personal wand either."
To prove it, Dickhead tucked her personal magic wand back at her waist.
Didn't make it good for me, though.
I couldn't use the Moonlight Sword anymore either.
I'd manifested it early, thinking the fight was imminent, but Dickhead had anticipated and countered.
"Oh, and no borrowing personal wands from others. Can't cause Magical trouble for bystanders in our fight, right?"
She even blocked borrowing from dorm girls.
Excuse was "no trouble," but it meant no variables at all.
Didn't expect her to be this cautious. She looked dumb, but her head worked fine.
Should've hidden the Moonlight Sword till the end.
My mistake.
"Don't like it? Then don't."
"Whatever."
"Great. Time limit's ten minutes."
I nodded casually, and Dickhead barked at her dorm girls.
"Hey! Go grab a weapon for me!"
"Right here!"
Before she finished, a Magical Girl from her dorm handed her a standard-issue magic wand.
"Didn't you say no bothering others?"
"That's why someone else fetched a communal standard-issue one. Lucky me."
Dickhead spun the standard-issue wand on her finger a couple times and nodded smugly.
"If you're that butt-hurt, shoulda prepared better."
Fucking annoying, but true.
Fairness in fights? Only the one who prepares more thoroughly wins.
She'd anticipated dragging it out like this and prepped. Impossible to fetch a standard-issue wand at this hour.
Felt unfair, but nothing for it.
Arguing now would just sound like excuses.
"That bitch is a real cunt."
"That fucker really going to see her mom? Should just kill herself if she's seeing mom."
Right then, Octopus Girl and Dyke approached, glaring murder at Dickhead.
Perfect timing.
Time to ask a favor.
"Sorry, everyone, but this is a Moonlight Sword—mind grabbing something similar real quick? I'll explain later."
They all eyed the Moonlight Sword curiously, but no time to explain.
"Length doesn't matter much as long as I can swing it. Hardness maxed out. Wood or plastic's iffy. Standard-issue wand's ideal."
Only ten minutes left.
Had to get something usable fast.
"Thanks."
Luckily, they nodded, curiosity suppressed, and scattered quick.
How long did I wait?
Octopus Girl and Dyke returned first.
But their faces were grim.
"Tried for a Magical ceremonial staff from the temple, but it's night—failed to get in."
"Don't use Magical dildos myself, so no spares. I'll prep next time."
"No, don't prep that. Please."
Neither had brought anything.
"Sorry."
"Hetero, really sorry."
"It's fine."
No point griping.
It was the middle of the night, after all.
Too sudden, too tight on time.
Meanwhile, Dickhead grimaced harder at the scene.
"Nothing? Ten minutes almost up."
"Guess I'll go bare-handed if needed."
"Really? Don't care if you get hurt?"
Total bullshit.
If she didn't want injuries, she'd use the Magical simulator nearby.
But Dickhead only wanted to fight outside.
Meaning she planned to inflict wounds.
"Quit yapping. Worried about hurt? We could've used the simulator over there."
"Using it without a Magical officer's against regs."
"This fight isn't?"
"Don't get caught, no problem. I won't, so worry about yourself."
She even oozed confidence she wouldn't get hurt. Personality trash, but skills legit, probably.
Wonder where Whitey was.
Hope she brought something.
"Hah...! Hah...!"
Right on cue, Whitey burst into the training ground, panting hard.
Thank god—she clutched a steel pipe.
Rusty and dusty, like it'd been abandoned in a corner, but better than hands.
I approached to thank my hardworking Whitey.
"Sorry."
She apologized out of nowhere.
Confused, I tilted my head, and Whitey continued, head slightly bowed.
"I... couldn't do it right again."
Whitey forced a smile.
"I'm so stupid and pathetic... Couldn't find anything like your Moonlight Sword."
Like she'd lose face if she cried.
Or couldn't hold it together without smiling.
"Next time, I can do better for real. Just one more chance, and I'll rig something better than your Moonlight Sword."
Then Whitey lifted her head and looked at me.
"But!"
Her blue eyes brimmed with so much.
"No more... chances for me...!"
Regret toward me here.
Deep self-loathing.
Utter helplessness.
"...No next time."
Finally, Whitey burst into tears. The dam of emotions she'd held to her limit broke.
"Sorry... sorry..."
Unbelievable.
She'd done nothing wrong, so why apologize? Dickhead's the one who should.
"Sorry... it's because of me—"
"Hey, watch your words."
I flicked her forehead kinda hard, cutting her off.
"Who said this mess is your fault?"
"But my vacation..."
"Listen up. This is just me wanting to fuck over that bitch's vacation. Yours means jack shit to me. Got it?"
"...Yeah."
I ignored Whitey's gloomy reply and snatched the steel pipe from her hand.
Balance was off, but I'd adapt.
Worn, but hard enough to work with.
Damn good for a rush job.
"Not bad. Where'd you get it?"
"Asked the Magical Lieutenant, but she wouldn't give a magic stick—instead handed this over. Got it easy enough."
She'd begged the captain.
Got a steel pipe instead of standard-issue wand.
But.
"Easy," she said. No way.
She didn't notice, but Whitey's palms, knees, and forehead were filthy.
Meant she'd knelt, banged her head, begged.
Wouldn't lend till she groveled like that.
That fucking bitch—I'd deal with her soon.
Plus, felt like Whitey hadn't gotten it willingly. Gut said so. Sketchy vibe.
Like they'd shoved trash on her out of fake generosity instead of a wand.
"You didn't just take this, right?"
"...It's Magical gear—if it breaks, gotta pay. So she took my card as collateral."
Gut was right.
Correction: not soon—right after this.
Giving near-trash instead of standard-issue, then demanding collateral like someone's life savings? No normal cunt does that.
What the fuck kind of money is that, you dogshit bitch.
Whitey caught my darkening face and quickly added,
"I-it's fine! Short on cash? Magical loan it! Sorry I could only get this much..."
Was she really this dumb?
Didn't do wrong but apologizes. Risks everything important for my weapon.
But I couldn't say shit.
Not yet.
"Quit sniveling and get ready?"
Dickhead called out bored from across. Zero fucks about Whitey's feelings.
Good.
No guilt needed.
"As you see."
"With just a Magical steel pipe?"
Dickhead shrugged like it was ridiculous.
"Can't even take down a Magical Girl, let alone what? Brought a pup knife to slaughter an ox?"
I ignored her mockery and swiftly drew a circle on the ground with the Moonlight Sword.
"Then I'll just kill one dog."
A small circle around me.
"And."
I stabbed the Moonlight Sword into the ground.
"From now on, everything outside this circle is a dog."
Staring straight at the still-mouthy Dickhead.
The air turned heavy instantly as my words landed.
Like the atmosphere before an execution.
Then, through the thick tension, Octopus Girl spoke quietly to me.
"Commoner."
Huh? I glanced at her, and she suddenly shoved me outside the circle.
Then stepped inside it herself.
"Dogs are commoners, not girls."
"Hey, you cunt."
Just as I was posing cool, fuck.
"Hey, Hetero Nazi. You wanna talk like that even here?"
Dyke, with a shred of conscience left, scolded Octopus Girl inside the circle.
"S-sorry."
"Can't call a dogshit bitch a dogshit bitch. Gives Magical trauma."
"Oh, right. Forgot."
Scratch that. Both fucking bitches.
Can't let guard down.
"Anyway, I'm off."
I waved off the dorm girls casually and headed to face Dickhead.
"Why...?"
Whitey voiced confusion then.
"Why go this far...?"
Thinking about it, this fight was downright laughable.
Not for some noble cause I had to uphold.
Not for grand justice.
Not to right fallen righteousness.
No gains from winning. Massive losses if I lose.
And that's not all.
Whitey wasn't some pure saint.
Racist to outsiders, blurts whatever without filter then regrets it later. Dumbass.
When weak, doesn't beg for help. Even when she does, too inept to finesse it. Fool.
Neither saint nor villain. Just a vague weakling.
That's all Whitey was.
And yet.
This fight was one sleazy fucker clashing with another over that vague weakling.
One for cash value.
The other for petty self-satisfaction.
No lofty ideals. Just base desires driving ugly brawl.
Literally a trivial fight.
"Why?"
That's why.
"Because I'm the Hero."
A Hero's fight.