Chapter 1
Magical girl, magical girl.
Contracting with a cute mascot.
A warrior of light in a frilly dress, vanquishing villains. Or a hero safeguarding the world with special magic.
I've longed for magical girls like that ever since I was a kid.
Whenever a magical girl anime aired, I'd sit in front of the TV, heart pounding with excitement.
I'd even save up my allowance to secretly buy a magic wand and swing it around, mimicking transformation poses.
Of course, I never told anyone about my hobby.
Magical girls were for little girls, after all. If a guy like me admitted he loved them, everyone would look at me funny.
So I kept it hidden, fangirling in secret, until one day as a working adult...
I became a magical girl.
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That day, like always after work, I was kicking back with a beer, watching the latest magical girl anime.
I couldn't strike poses like I did as a kid anymore, but my passion for magical girls burned as strong as ever.
Merch, comics, figures... if anything, my obsession had only grown since childhood.
"These days, even magical girls have day jobs."
In the anime, magical girls were treated like just another profession.
Times change, and so do magical girls.
A few years back, there was a wave of weird ones—magical girls turned tools for revenge, or forced into deathmatches against each other.
"Better a working girl than that crap."
The ending theme kicked in as the episode wrapped up.
I reached for the remote to turn off the TV when a weird noise crackled from somewhere.
"What the hell?"
The static got worse, and the screen went pitch black.
"This TV wasn't cheap..."
I'd saved up from my salary to buy it on a whim.
"Please don't be broken."
Biting back tears, I got up to check around the TV for the cause.
Unplugging and replugging the cord did nothing—the noise kept going.
It was getting so loud I half-expected the thing to explode.
Beep—
"Huh. It stopped."
A strange tone blared once, and the static cut out.
I sighed in relief and let go of the cord.
Then something leaped out of the TV.
A bear doll.
Palm-sized, brown fur, tiny little eyes. Your standard bear plushie.
"I request that you contract with me and become a magical girl."
The bear spoke in a haughty woman's voice that didn't match its adorable look at all.
"Did I drink too much? Hallucinating already."
"This is no hallucination."
"...Maybe I should slap myself."
The bear doll flew right up and smacked my cheek hard.
It stung like hell. What kind of doll hits that strong?
"This is reality."
"Yeah... guess it is."
Unbelievable, but real all the same. Pinching my thigh hurt like a bitch, no dream here.
"Time is short. You must decide quickly."
"Whoa, hold up—this is way too sudden."
A bear doll popping out of the TV? Asking me to be a magical girl? Anyone would freak.
"No choice. An invasion is coming soon..."
"Invasion? What the—? And hold on, I'm a guy."
"Your compatibility rating is sufficient for transformation. No issue."
"For real?"
"Yes."
"So I'd turn into a cute magical girl?"
"Yes."
"Cast spells, fly around and shit?"
"Yes. Of course. Please decide soon. If you refuse, I must find another compatible candidate."
Honestly? I was tempted.
Deep down, watching all those magical girl animes, I'd always fantasized about transforming myself.
If this bear was telling the truth, this was my one shot at that dream.
"...It is reversible, right?"
"Of course it's possible."
"A-alright, I'm in."
"Understood. Proceeding with the contract."
The moment the bear finished speaking, a magic circle bloomed under my feet.
"In the name of Keter, Elder of the Otherworld, I appoint you as an official contractor."
One. This light shall grant you a miracle.
Two. This will shall grant you passion.
⟨ Contract Complete ⟩
Three. This crown shall grant you glory.
The magic circle erupted in light so blinding I couldn't open my eyes.
It started from below, slowly enveloping me like sinking into warm water.
Something brushed my cheeks over and over—not unpleasant, just ticklish.
I wondered what I'd look like.
But the contract finished in a flash, too quick for even simple expectations.
"You may open your eyes now."
Bright particles danced around when I did.
"It's done?"
"Yes."
"Huh?"
That voice... wasn't mine.
Cute, sweet—a woman's voice I'd never heard before.
Looking down, my pajamas were gone, replaced by a white frilly dress.
"I'm really a magical girl now?"
"Yes. Contract complete."
I bolted to the bathroom—the only mirror in the house. Should've bought a full-length one...
"I'm shorter too."
Standing on tiptoes, I peered in.
A tiny princess with white hair and a cute tiara stared back.
"This is... me?"
Her cheeks looked so soft, like they'd stretch like cheese if I tugged them. A petite face to match her small frame.
"Yes. Do you like the appearance?"
The bear doll had perched on my shoulder without me noticing.
"Hell yeah. It's exactly what I imagined."
Transforming into a magical girl had been my dream forever.
And now it was real.
"I'm glad."
"So, how do I undo it?"
"That will be possible upon retirement."
"What?"
"Once you've defeated enemies as a magical girl and the contract ends, transformation release becomes available."
"W-wait, that's not what you said!"
"I said it was possible from the start."
"...So I have to live like this until then?"
"Yes."
Contract fraud. Total scam.
Then the floor shook violently.
"Earthquake?"
"The invasion has begun already. Time to act."
"What? Fight now?"
"Yes. Earlier than expected, but no choice."
I glanced back at the mirror.
The princess in there was still adorable.
Yeah. I am a magical girl now.
Reversing it didn't matter.
Time to get to work.
"How do I fight? No magic wand or anything."
Magic is a magical girl's core.
Sure, some animes had them punching stuff, but right now I was just a powerless cutie.
Hardly qualified.
"Wish for power in your heart, and it manifests in your hand. Simple—try it now."
The bear pointed at my hand.
"Magic wand too?"
"Yes. Though artefact form is revealed only upon manifestation."
"Alright. It'll work out."
I closed my eyes, envisioning the perfect magic.
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Boom— A massive explosion roared, sending a blood-soaked doll flying into the distance.
It crashed into building rubble and hurled another matchstick toward the crimson-black sky.
Fwoom—
The blast obscured vision.
I hurled myself at the doll's position, smashing down with my fist.
How many times? Its face pulped beyond recognition, and finally, the match flame in its grip flickered out.
A nauseating mix of ash and blood assaulted my nose.
"1st-grade doll, Matchstick. No vital signs. Good work."
The mascot—no, now fully human—Keter approached, her gray hair swaying in the wind.
"Still got these tough bastards popping up."
"Strong erosion here. Makes sense."
"Yeah? No wonder my head's killing me..."
I spat out the blood in my mouth.
Ten years as a magical girl.
The magic I loved had optimized into Magical Punch for peak efficiency.
Bloodstains on my frilly dress were the norm these days.
"Speaking of... you said I could release the transformation upon retirement. Still valid?"
"Afraid not anymore."
Keter shook her head sadly.
"Before the Great Subjugation, maybe. But you've partially otherworldized now. Impossible."
"Figures."
"I'm sorry. I couldn't help."
"Nah... even if I could go back, there's nothing waiting."
No family left. Loved ones gone.
Better this erosion-choked hellhole, where normals would choke and die, than some empty "home."
"Shall we head back, miss?"
I wiped my bloody hands with the handkerchief Keter offered.
"Yeah. Let's go."
I'd lost so much, everything had changed.
But one thing never would...
I'm still a magical girl.