Episode 184 – Magical Girls in the Sky (4)
“Asmael definitely said that. He mentioned that fighting amongst ourselves is meaningless. For the first time in my life, I have this human body and I come out into the world, and the best thing they can think of is to challenge me to a fight?”
High above the chaotic ground, we faced each other, glaring.
And I was sure I had mentioned the established rules for this ‘duel.’ Surely, no matter how foolish they were, if they blatantly broke those rules, they would be the ones at a disadvantage.
[Fight? I simply didn’t show any courtesy. For someone like you, disdain and contempt are more than enough.]
“…Unbelievable.”
Yet, the response I received was far from my understanding. I’ve met quite a few strange characters in my time as a Magical Girl, but this one takes the cake.
“So you specifically came here to show disdain and contempt? Impressive.”
[I felt a declaration of war was necessary, so I came straight to this place—the country where you are.]
“Are you saying I have to leave the place I finally settled because of you?”
[Yes, you must. As long as we exist, you will not be able to set foot in this land again. You will no longer oppress and threaten humanity with your wicked powers.]
“…What nonsense is that?”
Regardless, I knew very little about them. However, the more I conversed, searching for clues, the more I felt my mind growing hazy.
Is it really appropriate for us to be discussing this topic?
“What’s that girl saying right now?”
Hearing Ren’s question made me feel like I’m not the one in the wrong.
“You… came here without knowing anything? There must be at least a helper, if not Rana herself?!”
I couldn’t hide my astonishment and shoved Ren in front of them. With their given power, they should be able to see through Ren’s appearance.
Aside from myself, who was originally an earthling, the reason Rene or Shia, the inhabitants of this other world, were able to adapt quickly to Earth was thanks to these mascots.
[We did not want them, and Fairy Rana accepted that opinion.]
Then the beautiful blonde woman Uriel shook her head and after hearing that response, I was left speechless. I could only think that Rana had lost her mind.
[Is that a problem? I am the proud leader of Heaven and its guide. Hence, no one can guide me.]
“There’s no way that’s not a problem. You all came here without any understanding of the world or who lives in it.”
At that moment, my anger boiled over, my head felt hot. I was surprised at how passionately I was reacting.
Was it because my precious vacation spot was being ruined, or because those doves still thought they were angels of Heaven?
[Are you suggesting we fight?]
As I raised my magical power, Michael grinned and released his energy without hesitation. It seemed the one who was itching for a fight was him.
“…You aren’t angels here. I’m not the Demon King either. I’m just a Magical Girl who transforms to hide her true form. You are ignoring that fundamental fact. How dare you discuss battling with me!”
[What a blabbering mouth you have! Magical Girls are warriors of justice who fight evil. We will fulfill that duty! Behold!]
Finally unable to hold back my anger, I revealed my horns and wings and shouted, only for Michael to retaliate in kind.
Then he pointed a finger at the ground.
[Punish the sinner! The divine flame of Heaven!]
With that, scarlet flames erupted from his fingertip and rained down to the ground. I couldn’t even stop it in time. The flames quickly engulfed the area where the rescue teams had gathered, reducing one person to ashes in an instant.
“Th-that was… a pervert filming under the skirt of the confused girl nearby. But this…!”
Ren gasped at the shocking scene. Michael’s flames had eliminated the criminal in one strike, and other people only looked on in shock, unharmed.
[Did you see? I fulfilled my duty and passed righteous judgment, saving humanity. Now the humans here will surely praise and worship me, us.]
“Crazy…”
I clicked my tongue at their self-praising attitude. It was a brand of madness I found strangely familiar.
*
“Ah, ah—using the vocal organs of the flesh feels a bit strange. Is this the sensation?”
“…”
During the chaotic scene unfolding in Korea due to the sudden incident, a peculiar tension also hung over the forward base of the Allied Forces, though this tension was caused by someone calmly practicing pronunciation while sitting on the ground.
“Commander of the Regiment, there’s contact. It’s not from headquarters.”
“If it’s not from the Allied Forces HQ… why now of all times?”
The commander of the Allied Forces, who was watching the girl—rather, the boy—received the call and stepped away.
“What’s happening? Yes?”
He frowned as he answered the phone and was left flabbergasted by the other party’s words. They were directly informing him that someone was heading there.
He asked back, still trying to grasp what was happening. But the other party clicked their tongue and sighed deeply.
“A Magical Girl is coming there. She’s an ally, so please be aware of that. And whatever she does, don’t get involved for now.”
Lee Min-hyung on the other end of the line urged him, emphasizing that he wouldn’t be able to stop her.
“Why is a Magical Girl coming here right now…”
He hung up, frowning. Despite having heard the explanation twice, he still couldn’t make sense of it.
“B-besides, someone is flying towards us at high speed!”
But before five minutes had passed, he understood why he had received such a call.
“Shia.”
“Impressive. You know that child?”
“You know her? That means you know Shia? It’s strange not to know.”
Jeanne murmured while looking up at the sky, as Sandalphon, the boy with the green bob cut next to her, let out a small laugh.
In the meantime, Jeanne misinterpreted Sandalphon’s words and nodded, thinking he recognized Shia through the media.
“It’s not strange to not know.”
Yet Sandalphon didn’t correct Jeanne’s misunderstanding and instead smirked more. Before long, Shia, who had nearly landed, approached them slowly with a look of disbelief.
“Who… are you?”
Ironically, the first words out of Shia’s mouth upon seeing Sandalphon for the first time were asking who he was. She knew well who Sandalphon was, but aside from the names of the angels, she had no clue about them.
Caught in the strange atmosphere between Sandalphon and Shia, those around them, including Jeanne, kept silent and only observed.
“You don’t need to know.”
“Excuse me?”
“I am Sandalphon. A Magical Girl… indeed. That’s all there is to it.”
However, Sandalphon’s answer, which came with a grin, was quite different from what Shia had expected.
“A hierarchy among Magical Girls… isn’t that a bit complicated. There’s no need to struggle or bow your head.”
“But.”
“Of course, you should be careful around others, especially Michael. His attitude could change, but he’s quite the prideful one.”
After that, seeing Shia’s bewildered expression, Sandalphon snapped his fingers and summoned his wings to ascend into the sky.
“Where are you going?!”
[Since I first set foot in this world, it has been nothing but a series of surprises for me. I want to learn more and enjoy more about this place. But fundamentally, I came here to confront the Demon King.]
Switching back to a telepathic message, Sandalphon kept his mouth shut, conveying only his intentions to Shia. It was then that Shia recalled what she had completely forgotten about.
[Our war is just beginning. But there’s still some time. Once the Demon King gathers his subordinates and can officially confront us, we—representing the Magical Girls—will duel on the stage of this world to determine ‘who is more just.’ When that time comes, where will you stand? Naturally… with us, right?]
With a gentle smile, Sandalphon pointed at himself. Though his face radiated a sweet charm that suited the beauty, Shia, albeit shocked, couldn’t immediately respond. Hesitating to answer when an angel spoke was something she could never have imagined in the past.
“There is a hero with the qualities of a hero here. If you give me some time, I’ll take you to that person.”
[If that’s the case, then do as you wish.]
Feeling an instinctual sense of urgency, Shia forced out an answer. Meanwhile, Sandalphon simply nodded knowingly at her anxious demeanor.
‘I, I…’
As Sandalphon vanished like a flash of light, Shia dropped to the ground, ignoring the gazes around her.
She was shocked and confused, finding it hard to organize her thoughts. While her reasoning insisted she should follow the angels, the feelings welling up from her heart were blocking that path.
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