The Magical Girl Taking It Easy (1)
"What kinda nonsense is that."
The Management Bureau is just a place where people work. Regular civil servants getting paid—what super scary weapon could they possibly make?
I rolled around. Rolled around some more.
"Who else could've taken down that doll."
Me, the leisurely magical girl, rolling around on the sofa—that's who took it down.
No matter how long I waited, the Management Bureau never issued a subjugation request for Incheon, so I had no choice but to move first.
With guys like that, what secret weapon? They can't even pinpoint doll summoning spots properly.
Ring ring.
"Who is it."
The screen showed an unfamiliar number.
"Hello."
"Hey. Baek Yuri."
A voice thick with irritation blared through the speaker.
The Management Bureau's nagging queen, Kim Doa.
I'd blocked her last time, but looks like she switched numbers again.
Hang up? Nah, she'd just get even madder.
I decided to hear her out quietly for now.
"...Who is this."
"Playing dumb, huh?"
"What now."
"That Incheon thing—you did it, right."
"Nope. You slapped me with a subjugation ban, so why suspect me."
"Cut the bullshit. Who else in this world can smash a 1st-grade doll with their fists like that besides you."
"Guess the newbies these days are pretty strong..."
"You seriously think that makes sense right now?"
Bang—
A gunshot rang out. She was seriously pissed.
She really needs to fix that habit of shooting first when she's mad.
"No evidence anyway."
"Fine. No evidence."
"See? You're blatantly violating the principle of presumed innocence. How's that any different from a threat."
"Because conveniently, all the nearby CCTVs got smashed right around the subjugation time."
Gasp. I vaguely remembered wrecking something on the way there 'cause it was in my way. Was that a CCTV?
"And one of our staff had to write a report because of it. You know that?"
"No idea. Hanging up."
Beep beep...
I hung up and took a deep breath.
Blocked that number too.
"How many numbers does that woman have."
"Being from the Management Bureau, she can make as many as she wants, I suppose."
"Instead of getting new numbers to nag me, they should handle subjugations on time."
Strictly speaking, the biggest issue was that the Management Bureau couldn't properly locate the doll's summoning point.
If I hadn't subjugated it, Incheon would've been filled with the wails of residents near the erosion zone. Help out and they still bitch.
"You're right, miss."
Just then, the TV started talking about the 1st-grade doll I'd taken down yesterday.
"Keter."
"Yes, miss."
Keter set down the documents she was reading and tilted her head.
"When do you think the erosion will finally end."
At first, I thought if I just kept subjugating the dolls popping up in front of me, it'd all be over before I knew it.
But now, ten years had passed.
No matter how many dolls I took down, no matter how many people sacrificed themselves, the erosion showed no signs of stopping.
So the peace people believed in now was only half-true.
Nothing was over yet.
Not the erosion. Not the fighting. None of it.
"We expected it to decrease after the Great Subjugation, but the situation seems to have changed somewhat."
"You don't know."
"That's correct. As you know, I can no longer go to the Otherworld myself."
Keter had become human after the Great Subjugation.
But in doing so, she'd lost some of her mascot abilities from back then.
She used to cast combat magic. Not anymore.
"Any regrets?"
"I had nowhere to go back to anyway, so as long as I can serve you, miss, that's enough."
Keter gave a small smile.
"What's so great about a gross old guy like me."
"I like you very much, miss."
"Old guy."
"Miss."
"Enough, enough."
The news had ended before I knew it, switching to a show introducing newbie idols.
"Now they're even doing idols."
"Weak awakeners aren't much different from regular people, so if they're just selling their image, it's a good selling point, I think."
With the era of peace, one big change swept the world.
Awakeners—new ability users—started appearing.
Not through mascot contracts, but suddenly gaining powers one day. A supernatural phenomenon.
According to Keter, it was a backlash from the erosion.
I worried at first that awakeners would throw the world into chaos, but it didn't happen.
They blended into daily life faster than expected. "Eh, as long as they can fight later, whatever."
For me, more people who could use powers was a good thing.
Because of that, the Magical Girl Gallery—aka Masogal—where early magical girls chatted, became the Awakener (Magical Girl) Gallery, sparking debates for a while about why call it Masobung if it's an awakener gallery.
Bored. Maybe post some shit.
Live in Incheon and I'm in big trouble ㅠㅠ My hands and feet are shaking and I cry whenever I see a bear doll ㅠ
The Management Bureau slapped me with a subjugation ban, so with nothing to do, I end up posting shit like this sometimes.
Maybe 'cause it's all shitposts, everyone blocks me and comments barely come in.
"Should I make another account."
"Miss."
Keter had brought an apple at some point and sighed as she looked at the screen.
"What."
"That... never mind."
"You call me miss too."
Sure, inside I'm an old guy over 40.
But what can you do. Keter acts like my secretary and calls me miss, plus I look like a cute girl.
Even my battle outfit's a frilly cute dress.
I still wear unisex clothes outside 'cause it's embarrassing.
Keter buys cute outfits sometimes, but I can't wear them. Physiological repulsion.
"These days awakeners don't even transform. The world's come a long way."
"For the record, you're the only one who can transform a man into a magical girl, miss."
"Nooo..."
I wanted to be a magical girl. Not live like this forever.
Ding—
"Who now."
A text came in. Luckily, a familiar number.
Han Seoyeon, master of the top-ranked Gwangwon Guild.
Aka Absolute Sword.
She hates the nickname though. Says it's embarrassing.
Seoyeon was a comrade from the Great Subjugation, so she knew my identity.
She freaked at first, but now she's used to it.
Now she even begs me to keep living like this.
I don't have a hobby of subjugating dolls cruelly.
This one resisted hard. I had no choice but to go all out.
Don't come to where people live, cause trouble, and expect a gentle send-off.
Today's kids can't even handle that level of erosion?
No wonder about these youngsters.
"Huh."
Ding dong.
Ding dong. Ding dong. Ding dong. Ding dong. Ding dong.
Keter headed to the intercom first.
Then she silently beckoned me over.
I rushed to the intercom too.
On the screen stood a familiar woman.
Black long hair giving off a chilling aura. Red eyes that seemed to pierce anything, like she'd swallowed blood whole.
And the massive sniper rifle proving why her moniker was Magic Bullet.
Anyone could tell: Management Bureau, my old comrade, Kim Doa.
She held up her phone screen to the intercom camera.
And on it was a single short sentence.
"Eek."
Oh shit. She was seriously mad.