Isn't It a Bit Unfair?
Thinking about it, isn't it a bit unfair? Becoming a magical girl is still thrilling and exciting, sure. I admit that. Even getting a little—okay, a bit—naughty in my dreams is fine. I can feel myself getting stronger because of it. Smashing monsters? That's just what magical girls do, no complaints there. The unfair part I'm talking about is...
"Couldn't you at least leave a contact number or something?"
"What contact? Who?"
Chaehyeon, sitting next to me, overhears my mumbling and asks.
"...A, a coworker?"
Is it kinda like a coworker relationship...?
"You got a part-time job?"
"No."
"......"
"...Oh. R-Recently~ I started one recently."
I can feel the massive suspicion in the way she's staring at me...? Maybe it's because it's so comfortable around her, but I keep letting my guard down.
"...Sigh. Whatever. Just don't do anything stupid, okay?"
"Wh-what? When have I ever done something stupid?"
"You said magical girls can fly, so you jumped off the second floor of the school and ended up in an ambulance..."
"Yaaah! Th-that was in elementary school...!"
Longtime friends know every embarrassing detail of each other's pasts. That's a minor downside. Still, it's kinda nice getting worried about like this! But Chaehyeon, your big sis here doesn't need that kind of worry. She's a ma.gi.cal.girl—Spica? The magical girl of justice who smashes monsters while you're sleeping soundly.
"Hee, heehee..."
"Wh-what? You crazy bitch? Why are you laughing to yourself all of a sudden?"
Anyway, after what Abyss Eye told me in yesterday's dream, I really want to talk to the other magical girls. Altair, Sirius, Deneb... None of them gave me their contacts. I know Deneb's house, but showing up unannounced feels kinda off. Just sitting here waiting patiently doesn't sit right with me. Isn't there a way for me to reach out first...?
I tilt my head up absentmindedly and gaze at the sky. Clear blue skies, fluffy white clouds drifting by. A sparkling blue light tracing a faint line as it streaks across the sky...?
"...Huh?"
"What, what now? What's up this time?"
That light's heading in the direction of my house...?
"I... I think I gotta go."
"What? Weren't you going to the library to study today?"
Ugh, crap... Right. But this feels a tiny, teeeensy bit more important. As long as I don't fail and have to retake it... It's close, but I'll manage somehow, right? I look up at the sky again, but the blue trail is already fading away. Sirius is probably already there by now... Ugh, ugh. No choice.
"S-someone's waiting for me right now. I'm going! Bye-bye!"
"Hey! Yuseong!"
I arrive home and look up—my bedroom window is wide open. I definitely closed it when I left this morning, but now it's flung all the way open. Which means... No time to wait for the elevator; I take the stairs. Punch in the door code, fling open the front door, and there—
"Hey."
"Sirius unniiii—!!"
Ha... Does she have any idea how much I've missed her? No way to contact her, no clue where to even find her, just teasing me like that—it's all her fault. I charge in for a hug of pure joy, but...
Sirius casually twists away, dodging. My body, obeying the laws of inertia perfectly, tumbles forward and thuds onto the bed.
"Oof."
"Abyss Eye probably told you, but there's a new organization showing suspicious activity lately."
Straight to business, huh.
"They're after the Abyss Shards that magical girls collect after closing rifts."
"Ahem, uh, yeah. Of course I know!"
"Their exact goals and scale are still unknown. But they're clearly hostile to us magical girls."
"R-really? Why...?"
"Because," Sirius pulls a photo from her pocket and holds it up to my face.
The photo shows... a magical girl? One I've never seen before...
"We confirmed a missing magical girl is part of this group."
A missing magical girl? I'm not quite following...
"So, this... this magical girl disappeared before and showed up again?"
"Yes. Her name's Vega. Vanished two months ago."
Vega... Of course I know her. I've heard of her. Not as famous as Altair, but she had a decent following. But compared to the sightings and distant photos I'd seen online, this looks... different?
"This was taken yesterday. She appeared at a rift another magical girl was handling. Naturally, that girl couldn't fight a fellow magical girl, so she retreated. But Vega didn't even acknowledge her, closed the rift, collected the shard, and vanished."
I don't fully get the situation, but it definitely feels dangerous. A magical girl who went missing and now shows up with the enemy...
"We tried pursuing, but she wasn't alone—others we suspect are organization members were with her, so we failed. If someone shows up while you're handling a rift next time, don't fight. Retreat and call for backup."
Looking back at the photo after Sirius's explanation, Vega's appearance and vibe give off a dangerous edge. Was she kidnapped after disappearing? Or did something else happen...?
"Is... is she okay? Vega."
"Hard to say. The magical girl she encountered seemed to recognize her, but... it wasn't friendly."
I'm just starting to get used to fighting monsters, and now people—other magical girls? But hey, this is part of the magical girl gig too. Kinda thrilling.
"Oh, right. To call for backup like you said... we'd need contact info, right...?"
I try to slip it in as naturally as possible, like it's the most obvious thing.
"True. I'll give you my number—save it."
Heh heh heh... First magical girl in my contacts: Sirius. This is memorable.
"I'll block you if you contact me for personal reasons."
"D-don't worry. I absolutely, abso~lutely won't."
...Gotcha.
After Sirius leaves, I do a quick internet search on Vega. Magical girl fan cafes and communities—I've been around them plenty before.
"Vega, Vega..."
She was mentioned here and there before. Mentions dropped off after the two months Sirius mentioned... her disappearance. She had some fans up until then.
Sightings usually described her as emitting a deep blue close to navy. But in Sirius's photo, she's more purple? Black? Something like that.
"Hmm, can magical girls change their colors at will?"
Should I try? I'll go for a cool black vibe.
"Magical Girl Spica, transform!"
Starlight floods the dark room. The beams seep into my body and clothes naturally. Same as always—outfit, gems, ornaments, all unchanged. No black...
White, pink, blue. I pictured black in my mind, but nothing changed.
"What...? How'd she do it? Doesn't seem like we can control it."
Since I'm transformed anyway, might as well check for nearby rifts. Still can't without the gem's help... I close my eyes, clasp the large gem tightly with both hands—and focus.
"......"
Something flickers in the darkness of my vision. Focusing more... it sharpens. A rift.
"...Hmm. Not super close? Feels weaker than usual."
But ignoring a rift is out of the question. Gotta go. Other magical girls will handle it~? Nah, that's failing as a magical girl.
"No choice! Exam studying tomorrow!"
I leave my unopened textbook on the desk, open the window. Breathing the familiar night air, Magical Girl Spica soars into the city skies.
I find the rift easily. I land on the rooftop of a closed shopping mall after hours.
"Phew... Good, the rift looks small too."
Black slime oozes out from the long, tear-like scar of the rift.
"Wh-where do you think you're crawling out to? Get back in there—I’m busy."
No need for fancy techniques here. The slime bursts with a pop from my magic wand, scattering a few black gem shards onto the roof.
Compared to tentacles or monsters, this is nothing now.
"Flew like 30 minutes for this? Kinda boring~"
I watch the black shards absorb into my gem, then touch my wand to the rift to close it. Click-click? Footsteps on the empty rooftop? More like... the sound I made landing...?
"Oh my. A new face?"
A smooth, silky voice—definitely alluring—from behind me.
I turn slowly. It's the magical girl from Sirius's photo. Vega.
"Uh... u-uh, Ve-Vega?"
Meeting her like this, right away?
"You know me? Hehe... That'll make this quick then."
Vega smiles faintly, pointing at me—no, the rift behind me.
"I have business there. If my lovely junior steps aside nicely... no need to fight, right?"
"Uh... I-I already handled it... though."
As soon as I finish, the rift sparks and seals shut like it was never there.
"......"
"Aww, too bad... So you collected the shard, junior?"
"Y-yeah... uh, yes."
Shouldn't I bolt right now? This chit-chat feels wrong... gotta run.
Suddenly, two figures land on either side of Vega—no time to see where from. Shadows obscure them, but... not magical girls. And definitely not good guys.
Vega's wand rises slowly, now pointing straight at me. The faint smile vanishes, her mouth opens—
"Catch her."
Run. Now.