AtE Arc 1: The Magical Girl’s Return – Chapter 4After that.
One week pa.s.sed, two weeks pa.s.sed, and after three weeks pa.s.sed, everyone didn"t really pay much attention to the incident anymore.
In the end, the reason why he was able to use that amount of power remained a mystery even after using the power of a Mental System Ability User. That being said, Mental System - mindreading abilities in particular - are far too valuable, so it wasn"t like we had the human resources to be able to conveniently bring in someone else after being told, "Then try asking another person".
In reality, even this educational inst.i.tution that"s being sponsored by the government, only has a single Mental System Ability User. That one person is also mostly involved in matters of research and is not really suited as a teacher, so he barely show himself to the public. On the other hand, if he, who is a Mental System Ability User, was unable to clarify what happened, it could be that he (Tezuka) truly awoke his powers by chance, or——.
"Sensei?"
As I was thinking about such a thing, a voice suddenly called out to me.
When I raised my eyes, I could see Kasamiya-san"s figure leaning out from a window on the first floor. She probably thought that the sight of me groaning at the courtyard that was the sight of the incident and thought it was suspicious. My apologies.
"Kasamiya-san, is it. It"s already after school, but……are you a member of some club?"
"No, I forgot something. And so……"
"Fumu, I see."
Although she forgot something, for her to return to the school building on her own, such a worrisome child.
It isn"t very good to favour her too much, but quite frankly, it"s the truth it seems rather suspicious. For the sake of my own peace of mind as well, I should probably accompany her here.
"I will also go with you."
"Ehh, that"s…I"d feel bad."
"Just while I"m at it. Please don"t mind it."
"Y-yes, um…erm……thank you…very much."
Ahh, Kasamiya-san lowering her head in embarra.s.sment is cute.
Mutsu-sensei, who is like the puppy type despite looking like a frivolous man, is healing; but as expected, only a child like her can give true healing.
"Is what you forgot in the cla.s.sroom?"
"No, it"s in the practical room. It seems that I forgot my notebook in Practice Room No. 7."
Nimbly flipping my body over the windowsill, I landed in the hallway.
But, huh? Practice Room No. 7 is in the bas.e.m.e.nt, so it shouldn"t be open after school.
"Is that so……if it"s Practice Room No. 7, then you can"t get in without a teacher"s terminal, you know?"
"Eh? ……I-I will be troubling you……"
When I involuntarily let out a smile at the sight of her cowering figure as she turned bright red, Kasamiya-san let out an embarra.s.sed groan.
——/——
"Tokusen"s" bas.e.m.e.nt has a number of facilities.
Amongst them, the underground practice rooms are well-suited for the use of Darkness System-related Magical Arts or ESP. Among these rooms, No. 7 is remarkably wider, and can even be used for practicing actual combat.
"H-Here it is!"
Following after Kasamiya-san as she retrieved a notebook fallen near the practice room, I looked around and surveyed the practice room. As there was minimal illumination, the inside of the room was dim overall. Students that are not used to it often forget their jackets or terminals and such here.
Uppercla.s.smen are also sometimes guilty of it, so for a first year like her to have forgotten something can"t be helped, especially considering that she is still in her first semester. Is how it is, but-
"Thank you very much for coming with me! Sense——"
"Kasamiya-san. Get behind me."
"——eh?"
To forget a notebook, on its own, is to begin with, impossible.
During practical training, it is not unusual for paper notes to burn up and disappear, or get wet and melt away. Hence, all of the data for training is sent to the terminals.
Even so, for some reason she had the impression that she forgot her notebook. In reality, a sole notebook had fallen on the ground. It seems that Kasamiya-san is under the impression that it is her own possession, but no matter how you look at it, the notebook is brand new.
It is as if someone has manipulated her mental state.
That sticky-like sense of unease. The answer to that laid in the "arrival" that appeared clad in a dense darkness.
"Hii-"
Behind me, Kasamiya-san let out a frightened voice.
A black, shadow-like aura, rose up like steam, giving rise to a man that seemed to be just past his 30s.
His black hair was sticky, and the slanted lips below his hooked nose were a bluish purple colour. The name of that thin man was Agatsuma Suguru. The sole Mental System Ability user in Tokusen.
"If it"s through your concealment, I see, he too, Tezuka Hirosei would also be able to escape. So, if that"s the case, then this time"s incident. You were the one behind the scenes, right? Agatsuma-sensei."
"Hi…hihi-…yeah, that"s right. And you two will be the first victims! Through the burnt corpses of the detestable teacher that caught him, and the "leftover sc.u.m" female student that adores that student, the curtains to this tragedy will rise! Kihihihihihihihihi-! After that, all that"s left is the world! The ones to rule the world won"t be the inferior beings, nor some relics of the past! Kuhi-…I, ESPers will! Control the world!"
The one who screamed that fanatically while crawling out from under Agatsuma"s feet, was a Tezuka Hirosei with vacant eyes.
He was not a well-behaved student, but at the same time, it wasn"t like he was that brazen either. He couldn"t do anything outrageous, and was not really a good person. But because he was a "normal" delinquent student, he was being manipulated like a p.a.w.n. How pitiful.
"Sensei, I"m scared……"
"Can you use defensive magical arts? It would be great if you could use a barrier-type one."
"Y-Yes."
"Then, please protect yourself with that."
"Eh? But, what about sensei?"
"I can do something about myself. However, it would be difficult to do so while protecting you."
"-……okay. Um, sensei! P-Please…do your best!"
"Of course, leave it to me."
"【Set Form. Defense Arm: Field Ignition.】"
Kasamiya-san who put a barrier around herself.
Perhaps it was because she specialized in support magic, her barrier was quite excellent.
If it"s like this, then nothing should happen if she"s. .h.i.t by something at the level of a stray bullet.
Truthfully, there wouldn"t really be a problem even if I had to fight while protecting her.
However, there was one more thing that bothered me.
"Agatsuma-sensei——"
"Your last words? Kihi! I"ll listen to them."
"——you ate a "Seed", didn"t you."
I"ll see your silence as a sign of affirmation, dammit.
A "Seed" is a doping agent that was spread around when the Demon King was still lively. Humans who unknowingly ate the Seed in order to oppose the Demon King, eventually had their bodies and hearts transform into those of a demon"s, and became humanity"s enemies.
That excessively dangerous "Seed" should no longer be distributed on the market. However, it seems that Agatsuma has eaten one.
That being the case, there is only one answer.
"You made a contract with one of the remnants of the demons, huh? How sad."
"Shhhhhhhhhhhut up! This was something necessary! This was a necessary investment in order to revolutionize this world where inferior beings do whatever they want! For some foolish "leftover sc.u.m" that doesn"t even understand that to—"
Ignoring Agatsuma"s long-winded cries, I once again surveyed the situation in the surroundings.
The black aura clung to the door and alarm device. Since it"s an underground room, there aren"t any windows. It"s out of range for the terminals.
"Oh! Turn those pitiful pieces of trash into ashessss!!"
At Agatsuma"s orders, Tezuka Hirosei, with his eyes still vacant, produced a heat haze from his hand.
What was fired out after the preparatory actions was an orange-coloured flame. It was not a hue caused by some sort of chemical reaction. Abilities from the other dimension were not something that could be understood with our common sense.
However, so what of it? Those are high-temperature flames, and if firing it turns us into cinders, then it will be fine if I don"t let him fire it.
"【Set: Bind Duel】"
A Swift Attack Art.
By shortening the aria of the original Magical Art down to only the necessary components, it becomes, so to speak, a high grade art.
As it is too difficult, it seems to be treated as an empty theory, but that has nothing to do with me. To begin with, Magical arts are only the devolved form of "Magic".
That being the case, even I, who can"t use Magic unless I "transform", can fully use this devolved power without any difficulties at all.
"【Ignition】"
The first chain I shot out bound Tezuka Hirosei.
The second chain I should out fixed him to the ground.
"Now then, it seems that I have sealed your hand, but?"
"Tch……what the h.e.l.l…what the h.e.l.l are you!"
Falling into confusion, Agatsuma fell to the ground on his backside and shrunk away.
Even if you ask me what I am, right now I"m just a single teacher.
"Enough…enough enough enough enough enough! I"ll just kill every every every every single one of you ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh-"
Manipulating others, the power that even strengthens that ability.
Perhaps the power that he acquired through doping caused madness to grow within him. As Agatsuma unleashed a scream, his body began to swell.
……rather, isn"t this development happening too quickly? -though, this is because my swift attack rendered Tezuka Hirosei completely powerless.
"Tsk……【Swift Attack Art——"
My Swift Attack Art certainly does possess quite a bit of speed.
However, Magical Arts couldn"t catch up with Agatsuma"s change.
"S-Sensei? Wh-what"s that?"
"Try not to look directly at it. It"ll take your soul away."
"Hii-……y-yes."
Even while Kasamiya-san called out to me, I did not avert my gaze.
Just when did Agatsuma eat the Seed? The matured Seed probably bloomed inside of him. Agatsuma"s skin was dyed purple, his muscles became abnormally enlarged, and two arms grew out of his back. Those who looked would fall into madness, and those who approached would be affected by the miasma, becoming enemies from a different dimension.
"——demon."
Even after the Demon King was defeated, in his place, existences that plotted the invasion of Earth extended their fangs from the Otherworld and threatened us.
『Indeed. My name is demon, Legelsend. Since I have bloomed and gained control, you no longer have any chance of victory. I will destroy those overly praised 7, and wrap this land with despair.』
When I turned around, Kasamiya-san"s face had turned pale and she was crouching. It seems that she"s lost consciousness.
Going past the barrier, even if it wasn"t direct, it was an existence that can grind one"s soul. Including myself as a teacher, there weren"t any existences in the current Tokusen that could beat it. If it were the Seven Heroes, then things would be different. However, before their arrival, it probably will have finished killing all of the humans in Tokusen.
『You"re quivering in fear? That is also good. This man was also miniscule, but he was excellent as my seedbed. Considering that, I will let all of you live as seedbeds to awaken my brethren until your dying hour. 』
"Excellent as a seedbed?"
『Correct. Even though he was chosen to have a power that few others possessed, he was relegated to become a schoolteacher. While lamenting that he should be standing at the top, he did not put in any effort, and hated the world. Kuku, how suitable as a "demon"s" seedbed.』
Ahh, that"s right, I can"t win.
As the me who is a teacher, I cannot win against this.
Because the things known as demons, are those sorts of things.
That is why.
"Come, 【Wreath of Lapis Lazuli】"
Yeah, I admit it.
That, as the "teacher me", I cannot overcome you.
Thus, I shall have you regret it.
That you made me turn into——"This form".
『Struggling? Very well. I shall allow one attack. Even if it is just a mosquito bite.』
A "Stick" appeared in my hand.
The handle and main body was white. Just above the handle was an azure flower and a transparent blue jewel. It had a cute design, a magic staff that was like a toy for children.
"*inhale*……"
Now then, prepare yourself, Mitsukasa Michi.
In order to prevent your life as a teacher from being put to an end, all you have to do is obliterate everyone who saw "this appearance" equally after all!
I raised my hand overhead. The shining Stick. That"s right, the name of my ability is——.
"【Magical Transfacttttt!!】"
——"Magical Girl".
The requirements for the Magical Girl ability were fundamentally plain and simple.
It was that one must fight like a "Magical Girl" from tale, from a fairy tale.
Wear a costume, say arias, and decide on a pose. Just by doing that, you can obtain a huge power.
But, please wait.
I never heard that even if you"re not a "Girl" anymore, the requirements don"t change.
What wrapped up my body was a frilly magic costume.
The white outfit was accented by an azure-coloured ribbon and silver ornaments. When I was a young girl, the jacket that exposed my belly-b.u.t.ton was cute, but now it highlighted my chest and was even more horribly tight than underwear.
Even though the skirt was at a level where it could conceal my knees, now it was 20 cm above my knees. Whenever I moved, my magic panties could be seen. On top of that, my thighs were squeezed by the exceedingly tight knee-high socks, turning it into a s.k.a.n.ky outfit.
It was fine when I was a young girl, but right now when I"ve grown to adulthood with a cool face, the pigtails cutely fixed with flower decorations was despairingly unsuitable. My gla.s.ses had dissolved into the air and disappeared.
『I-It"s a female perverttttttttttttttttttt!?!?!!』
Throwing his character up until now out the window, the demon drew back while panicking.
Yeah, that"s right. I hear you. This is precisely what caused my comrades to laugh so hard, they almost died from hyperventilation, what caused the one like an older sister to me to cry, and what caused a serious friend I adored to bite his lip so hard that it bled in trying to endure his laughter. This is the costume of a female pervert.
——I brandish my Stick to the heavens.
"Magical Girl!"
——while turning, I bring it in front of my chest.
"Mi-ra-cle"
——waving my skirt, I did a spin.
"Lapi!"
——putting my other hand on my hip, I brought the Stick to my mouth.
"Cutely arrives!!"
The last finisher was a snap and wink.
Making a smacking sound, I used my Stick to send a flying kiss.
The actions that I was embarra.s.sed about even when I was a cute little girl, right now, made me feel like claws were ripping into my heart as I made that sound. Now, kill me. No wait, I got that wrong. I have to kill. No matter what happens.
『Guu…to make me fall to my knees, what power!』
"Shut up, is that sarcasm? Die."
Like that, my tongue unintentionally becomes quite sharp.
But it"s hopeless. This s.h.i.tty Stick decreases in power if my little girl level drops based on my speech and conduct. I once again refreshed my mind, putting my hand to the corner of my mouth while smiling. Kill me.
"For the bad demon who calls a maiden a female pervert, punishment☆"
『Aren"t you embarra.s.sed?』
Ha…haha.
Hahahahahaha.
Even enemies are treating me this way.
Ahh, yeah, right. I knew.
Yup. That…is why.
I will not allow you alone to leave from this place alive.
『Die of shame while becoming a seedbed as a female pervert!』
"——too slow."
Taking one step backward, I avoided his fist.
——my mini-skirt fluttered.
『What?! Then take this!』
I dodged his four consecutive attacks by flying backwards.
——my tight kneesocks bit into me.
『Then!』
I repelled the poison breath he fired with my Stick and extinguished it.
——my pointlessly swaying b.r.e.a.s.t.s.
『Ohhhhhhhhhh! My special attack, Demonish Death Gear (Demonic Hard Bullet)!』
"Please, Stick-san!"
Brandishing Stick, I erased the beam shot out from his 4 arms.
——my two plump arms were exposed to the wind.
Yeah, that"s right.
I will let you understand the significance of embarra.s.sing me up until now.
Soon, I will carve it into your soul!
"【Set Form: Slash】"
『Ku-…don"t tell me, you made me let down my guard with your perverted costume?!』
"【Ignition】!!"
The beheading attack that I shot was an aurora.
The powerful light that completely dyed the surroundings a pure white, easily made contact with the demon.
The demon also took a refined defensive stance to withstand that huge power, but the light did not disappear.
『Why?! Why…why why why?! Why can"t I defend against it!』
"It just means that your decision to block it was wrong. My wish to "kill" - that wish was granted. As such——until you are "killed", it will not stop."
『No, that"s impossible!? If that were possible, if you can do that, then you"re no longer a human—–ahHHHHHHHHH!?』
His agonized death cries resounded.
The light that cut up the demon cut up the "demonic flower" hidden within it, but did not damage anything else as it vanished.
Afterwards, Agatsuma fell down, together with a flower that disappeared into sand. My wish, a "cutting light", was perfectly granted until the very end.
"The Magical Girl"s punishment is complete! With this, it"s all done!"
Spinning Stick around, I made a clean pose.
For some reason, there was an explosion behind me. Agatsuma and Tezuka were sent flying without any injuries.
As if answering to the ending signal, the magic stick disappeared into the air, and my appearance returned to normal.
All that"s left is to collect the unconscious Kasamiya-san, and leave all of the clean up to the board chair……man?
"S-Sensei."
"Ka-kakakakakaka…Kasa…miya…san."
The one whose eyes were completely open was, my healing existence, Kasamiya Suzuri-chan.
Eh? Um? Since when? She did fall unconscious…didn"t she?
"U-Um——"
"Um…this is, uh…I may have done this and that, but I am not a female pervert-"
"——you were very cool, sensei!"
"Haah?"
It really couldn"t be helped that I was muttering in a daze.
No, because, just what the heck am I supposed to do?
"Yes, to think that sensei was the much admired Magical Girl, Miracle Lapi-chan! Ah, I understand, you know? The true ident.i.ty of an ally of justice is a secret, right! It"s okay, I am very tight-lipped!"
Kasamiya-san smartly made the Magical Girl"s pose.
Yup, that"s right. When you do it, it"s very cute. But, you know, it"s no good. My heart is already all beat up. I wanna go home.
Ahh, what is this? Even though I finally resolved the incident, everything feels fruitless.
G.o.d, it would seem that I won"t be able to forgive you.
Translator Comments:
If you’re wondering why “Stick” was spelt with a capital “S”, it’s cause she refers to it as “Stick-san”, kinda like how you’d refer to a mascot or something…also, that is the literal translation. The author referred to it in Katakana as “Stick”. Not staff, not wand. Stick. So I shall be sticking to that. Haha.