10. Witch of the Crimson Flame (2)
10. Witch of the Crimson Flame (2)
"Magical Girl AA has arrived to punch the clock."
AA, whose nickname in the Magical Girl chat room is Alice Lover, had arrived at the Magical Girl Management Bureau's meeting room. Everyone on the list for the Crimson Flame Witch subjugation battle was already there.
"You're finally here."
"Hello. I'm Mika."
"Ah, hello sunbae-nim! I'm Theresia, a PR-Class Magical Girl participating this time! You can just call me Sia."
"Egu-gu, did our cute AA arrive~? Does this eonni want to give you some candy?"
In order, it was Strawberry, Mika, Theresia, and Devia. AA seemed flustered by the fact that she was the last one to arrive, scratching the back of her head as she opened her mouth.
"Yes. Uh, I'm AA. Please take care of me."
She kept her true feelings, 'Please take care of me and finish this quickly,' tightly locked away. She didn't know about other things, but since it was a witch, it was bound to take a little while.
Still, there was only one wish in AA's heart.
'I want to finish this quickly and go fangirl over Alice-nim.'
To AA, a girl who was easygoing and had quite a masculine side, Alice was the object of endless admiration and her ultimate bias.
Alice, or rather Alice Carroll, was a super-popular magical girl active in the UK, and AA would tell you she was the most ideal magical girl of all.
"Now that everyone's here, shall we start by making a basic strategy~."
"It never goes according to plan anyway."
"Still, it's better than having none~."
After a moment of silence, Devia was the first to speak up about making a strategy. Strawberry threw a jab at it, but Devia just laughed it off.
As far as I know, that sunbae-nim must be forty by now. Well, she's a magical girl, so, you know....... AA let out a dry laugh and tried to butt into their conversation.
"It goes without saying, but the two OP-class girls need to jump in as soon as the minions are taken care of."
"What about Theresia?"
"Hmm, our newbie~ just cheer from nearby, okay?"
Theresia's lips curved into an arc. She was PR-class anyway, so there shouldn't have been any need for her to participate in this subjugation battle. Why was that? AA tilted her head.
"By the way, that girl, Theresia? I don't know why we're bringing that PR-class newbie along."
"Ah~ hmm, that's true? Maybe it's just like a field trip? Back in my day, I sometimes followed sunbae-nims around to learn, too~."
"Ah, well, if it's something like that. But doesn't someone need to protect her?"
"I'll be the one protecting her. I'm in charge of the newbie this week."
AA nodded. The foundation for the strategy to catch the witch was being laid.
&&&
If I had to describe the first impression of AA sunbae-nim, I'd say she has a decadent allure. She has a pretty and cute face, but there's something decadent about her. How should I put it, a vibe that would be popular with men of a specific taste?
To think I'm having thoughts like this in such a serious situation. I might be oblivious to danger.
Anyway, they seemed to be having a lively discussion about the strategy, but I couldn't say a word. I didn't understand a single thing they were saying.
Devia sunbae-nim and Strawberry sunbae-nim were both talking, overusing proper nouns I couldn't understand. I had no choice but to just nod and shift my gaze to AA sunbae-nim.
AA sunbae-nim also seemed to have given up on understanding, reflexively nodding while meeting my eyes.
Maybe that's not it. But no matter how I look at it, that's how it is.
Anyway, from what I could gather about the strategy, I just had to catch the witch's minions and then retreat. To borrow Devia sunbae-nim's expression, I just had to hide somewhere and cheer after the witch's minions were taken care of.
I mean, I'm still PR-class, so would they really let me participate directly in a witch hunt, no, a witch subjugation? It's like leaving a fish in charge of a cat cafe.
Wait, something's not right.
Anyway.
"Alright, we've more or less agreed on things, shall we head out?"
[Then, I shall guide you.]
Dori, who had been quiet until now, walked past everyone and headed out the door. The sunbae-nims who had gathered for the subjugation and I followed them outside.
I'm nervous....... It'll be fine, right?
It'll be fine.
&&&
The girl with a sorrowful expression was wandering aimlessly, shaking her long, bright red hair.
It was in the middle of a road far from the city center. There was no one around.
The girl just walked as if searching for something. The girl, wearing a black-stained veil and a veil covering eyes that still held a faint trace of crimson, draped in a black dress, shed tears.
The tears flowed down her cheeks and fell to the ground. As soon as the tears touched the ground, they became embers. The place where the girl passed burned with flames.
A witch. The girl was a witch. No other girl could accomplish such a thing. The girl, the [Crimson Flame Witch], was the only one who could do it.
The girl's path became a trail of fire.
-Kuaaa!!
Just then, a black mass that had grown as large as a mountain stopped in front of the girl. It bowed its head as if happy to meet its master, and shook its body as if singing a song. The girl flew into the sky and approached the top of that mass.
And, she stroked it slowly. The fire extending from the girl's hand covered the mass.
However, it did not feel pain. It did not emit sounds of agony.
The mass, the witch's minion, waited for the girl's orders.
The girl, the [Crimson Flame Witch], did.
She gave a very simple order to the witch's minion.
To burn the world with these embers.
The witch's minions split up and spread out to various places.
In the city center where the girl was left alone, the [Crimson Flame Witch] just kept shedding tears.
&&&
"So we have to catch that?"
"Well~ that much is mild~."
"I'm genuinely curious about what kind of life she has lived."
"Don't you have things like this in Japan?"
"For us, if something like that appears, it's a disaster."
"It's a disaster for us too~."
Before setting out for the [Crimson Flame Witch] subjugation battle. We were all standing on top of a large building.
No, is this some kind of unspoken rule? No, why are we standing here again? Do we have to do a hero landing again?
"Anyway, Mika-yang and I will go down first, okay? Strawberry and AA, and our cute newbie too, see you later?"
Saying that, Devia sunbae-nim and Mika flew off.
Ah, it's not falling, it's flying.
"Shall we get going too?"
Strawberry said. I suddenly got curious and asked.
"But why do we keep standing on top of buildings?"
"Ah, that? We just stand there to get a bird's-eye view? There's no particular reason. It's for checking the scale of the enemy in advance?"
Ah. A surprisingly practical reason.
"Newbie. I recommend asking things like that after the battle is over. If you keep asking things one by one, you'll get hurt."
I shut my mouth instantly. AA sunbae-nim is surprisingly scary.
"Let's go now."
Strawberry sunbae-nim and AA sunbae-nim jumped off the building at once. I followed them and jumped. Air resistance? Anyway, it was hard to open my eyes because of that.
It's not like it's my first or second time, and I did it last time too, but honestly, this is my first time jumping from this height.
After landing on the ground, as always—though it's only the third time—I shouted the entry slogan and ran using acceleration magic.
Towards the witch's minions.
"If you think there's a problem, shout!"
"Yes!"
We decided to split up for now. It was understandable, as there were unexpectedly many of the witch's minions. It was a choice to speed up the time to finish them off and join the main battle against the witch.
Of course, I'm very anxious because of that. But instead, Dori was supposed to stick by my side.
[You, you'll be able to do well this time too, right?]
"Since this happened because of Dori, take responsibility if it goes wrong."
In front of me, I saw a witch's minion wreathed in flames. I sprayed water magic at it.
It was a technique commonly called 'Water Cannon.'
It was a combat-type magic occasionally used in the wizard world, too. I couldn't use it originally, but since becoming a magical girl, I can use things like this. It's quite convenient.
For now, I decided to clear my mind of distracting thoughts.
"Water Cannon!"
-Kieek!
The fire-attribute (presumed) witch's minion hit by the water shrieked. And, it looked at me.
It had black eyes. It looked at me.
My body almost froze for a moment. It felt like the last incident was coming back to me. However.
"What are you looking at!"
I threw a light curse at it and launched a spear.
The spear pierced through its body.
"I know I'm pretty, okay?"
Ah, slip of the tongue.
[You. What are you saying.]
"Forget it, forget it! We have to fight right now, don't we?"
At that moment, its pierced stomach regenerated. And, it rushed at me with a roar. It held a black, blood-colored scythe and swung it. I immediately created a sword to counter it.
Clang!
My sword broke. Fortunately, I blocked the attack. Because it was a sword hastily made with magic, its durability wasn't high.
It kept looking at me. How should I say this? It felt like the abyss was looking at me. I created a sword once again. This time, not a hasty one, but by conceiving the most ideal form.
Magic is not omnipotent. That was the saying of the world's greatest archmage, Karl Schmidt. However, I know.
That statement is based on the premise of a wizard.
In other words, if it's a magical girl's magic, it might be omnipotent.
That's why I placed my expectations on my magic.
And, I received an answer to my expectations.
The scythe was swung once again.
The sword parried the scythe. And, the blade, which had turned bright blue by infusing the energy of water, severed its upper and lower body.
Its scream echoed.
One down.
For some reason, it was easier to catch than last time.
"Hey, I'm growing fast, right?"
[You. In my opinion, you are indeed a monster.]
Just then, another witch's minion appeared from behind.
I immediately turned around and created a spear to stab it. The heat of the black-red blood and the hot embers reached my hand.
Ah, hot!
[Be careful!]
I stepped back immediately. That was when it happened. Another witch's minion was opening its mouth behind me.
A very large mouth.
As if to swallow me.
[Theresia!]
I heard Dori's voice.
My body wouldn't move.
It was that moment.
An unknown image popped up in my head. It felt more like a memory than an image. But there were no other words to express it.
It was the image of the witch's minions surrounding me in front and behind. The way they moved was replayed.
Could it be.
I moved my body according to those movements.
My body, suddenly released, ached as if it were tense, but I had to feel a strange sensation.
In front of me, there were witch's minions moving just like the image that had been replayed earlier.
Huh?
Is this, by any chance.
The image of the scythe being swung from behind was replayed once again. I immediately turned around and reacted to it.
I parried the scythe, precisely.
Wow.
Magical Girl Theresia. New Trait (Estimated) Awakening (Estimated) Complete (Estimated).