Dragging the magical cane on the floor, I walked down the apartment stairs and headed toward the convenience store.
“There it is.”
The right arm of a fluffy-looking teddy bear was pointing in that direction.
“Gwahaha! Bring it on, anyone! Where’s the magical girl?!”
In the middle of the street, a nuisance of a monster was loudly shouting.
It was so absorbed in itself that it didn’t even react when I approached from behind.
It was a crustacean standing on two legs.
That thing looked tasty enough to eat.
Finding a steamer big enough for it would be quite the task, I bet.
“If you keep dawdling, I’m going to use my fist to…!”
“Hey.”
“Gwahaha! So, you’ve arrived, magical…!”
Suddenly, I felt a wave of annoyance.
This half-baked crustacean was delaying my chicken delivery.
Before it could fully turn around, I executed a clean leap and kicked it to the ground in one swift motion.
“Guhak!”
“I’m not in a good mood right now. Do you prefer it steamed or grilled? Just pick one.”
“Y-you cowardly sneak attack…!”
The monster, in a fallen state, tried to raise itself with its front legs—though it was hard to tell if they were fists or arms.
It looked like a crustacean, but it had an odd coloration, so I wasn’t sure what type it was.
Let’s just call it a green crab.
Anyway, that crab looked at me and, trembling its front legs, pointed.
“Y-you are…! The infamous masked girl!”
The crab referred to me as the masked girl.
Did I become somewhat famous in the world of monsters?
Well, that’s not my concern.
I slammed the magical cane down on the floor twice and urged it on.
“Enough with the chit-chat… hurry up and choose, crab! Steamed or grilled?”
“I am not a crab! Have you never heard of a lobster? Feel the power of this fist that no one can withstand!”
‘Lobster?’
The name sounded vaguely familiar, and I pondered for a moment with my finger on my chin.
I’m sure I’ve eaten it before.
But isn’t that a hook-shaped hand rather than a fist?
“Gyaah!”
A vigorous shout.
With a dull thud, my fist struck its head directly, but my mind was still focused on what a lobster is.
A lobster is just brown, right?
I’m not sure, but I definitely remember eating it.
As I pushed its head away with one hand, the monster was retreating, trembling in fear.
Whether it was from fright or something else, I couldn’t tell from its jet-black eyes, which obscured its expression.
“Y-you monster girl…!”
“Is it over?”
Drawing from old memories, this fellow was headed for the steamed dish course.
It’s too easy to deal with an opponent that’s lost their will to fight.
“Gwahaha!”
I merely hit it lightly with the cane from the front, and it fell backward without strength.
It was only one hit, but it looked too burdened by its own weight to get back up.
I positioned myself on its sturdy chest, facing its grotesque face head-on.
I wonder who was the first person to think about eating such a creature.
“To prepare crustaceans…”
I hummed at the thought of going back to munch on some chicken, secured its flailing arms with my legs, and—
“G-get away…!”
I lifted the now-red-hot cane with both hands.
As I mentioned earlier, its expression was hard to distinguish, so all I could see were its black eyes moving.
The more it struggled, the clearer it was that it was trying to resist.
“Isn’t this how you prepare a crab?”
Twisting the middle of the handle, I started speaking unilaterally.
The cane, glowing bright red, emitted an ominous hue.
What thoughts cross a soft-shell crab’s mind when it sees a blade trying to squeeze through its mouth before being tossed into a steamer?
Perhaps today, that curiosity will be resolved.
…With its echoing scream.
“First, you insert the knife into its mouth and twist it to kill it!”
“P-please stop…!”
“But sadly, I don’t have a knife sharp enough to let you go easily…”
I let a mocking tone escape, genuinely regretting my lack of a suitable knife.
At the same time, I held the glowing red cane up to its black eyes.
It struggled more intensely, but unfortunately, with its belly exposed and its arms sealed, there was nothing the crab could do.
With a slight smile, I decided to prepare an unforgettable nightmare for it.
“Try to suffer as much as you can, okay?”
“You’re a torturous demon girl…!”
“You should tell your fellow monster friends not to come near here, either.”
Ignoring the complaints, I directed the glowing red cane toward its mouth, which resembled a closed door.
“N-No! K-khuhhhha…”
“If you can speak properly when you return, that is.”
The cover that was protecting its mouth broke apart weakly.
The cane entered its maw, making a boiling sound along with white smoke.
I knew it was already too late, but even the instinct to resist was futile.
The cane pushed through the bubbling mass, gradually moving deeper into its mouth.
As it seemed to have given up on its desperate struggles, a refreshing feeling washed over me.
“Whew!”
I pulled the cane out from its mouth.
The end of the magical cane was damp but had no blood on it.
Now that I recall, I remember hearing that crustacean blood is clear.
I’m glad I didn’t bring Shiyeon along.
Whether the blood is clear or red, this scene isn’t something suitable for kids to see.
Only after confirming that the monster was completely dispersed did I leave the scene.
I heard that in other areas, magical girls have a tough time with monsters playing dead sometimes.
On my way home, I suddenly pressed my nose to my sleeve, troubled by the foul odor emanating from my body.
There was a sharp, fishy smell that pricked at my nostrils.
“Ugh, damn that fishy smell.”
“Ew, I need to wash up right away when I get home.”
There was no arguing with the bearcub’s voice.
Sighing briefly, I thought about the now-cold chicken.
“Ugh, the chicken must be cold by now.”
Determined to face any smelly monsters from a distance next time, I swallowed my disappointment and returned to the apartment.
Beyond the unpleasant fishy smell emanating from me, a fragrant and oily scent delighted my nose.
Chicken, it was chicken.
It was a richness that I couldn’t possibly associate with cold chicken.
What on earth is this?
“Mary, you’re back? Wow! The smell!”
“Don’t come too close right now; I’m eating first.”
As soon as I stepped in, I took off my shoes and rushed to the bathroom.
The fishy smell was so strong that I felt uneasy even after scrubbing myself down in the bubbly bath.
The freshly cooked chicken was still emitting warm steam.
I had taken care of the monster quickly, but it must have taken quite some time for people to pass by.
Since I had already arrived, I asked Shiyeon what had happened.
“The store uncle came back to fry it fresh.”
“Oh, really?”
That’s right.
Because the delivery had been delayed, the rider just gave the chicken to that person instead, and they prepared an entirely new batch for us.
Although the process was a bit convoluted, we ended up with chicken that was warmer than the one that would have taken ages to arrive after visiting several houses.
That’s a win, for sure.
“What kind of monster did you fight?”
“A strange lobster.”
Taking a big bite of the crisp, freshly fried chicken, my previously sour mood evaporated in an instant.
Maybe I was overreacting earlier; that relief washed over me.
I grabbed a bottle of cola with both hands, poured it into a tall cup that rose to my knees when sitting, as my hands were too small to handle it comfortably alone.
If I spilled any on the floor, cleaning it up would be a hassle, so I also filled Shiyeon’s cup.
Twisting the cola bottle closed, I gulped the soda down, relishing the sound of the carbonated bubbles bursting.
“Gwah!”
I let out a refreshing exclamation.
Seeing this, Shiyeon made a face as if she was looking at a strange person, then lifted her cup delicately with both hands and said.
“You look like an uncle….”
“You’ll understand one day.”
In the quiet space where only the sounds of eating could be heard, I picked up the remote control and turned on the TV.
Anyway, most of the TV programs consisted of advertisements, advertisements, and more advertisements.
I searched through the familiar news or cartoon channels to see if there was anything worth watching.
In reality, about 70% of the news channel’s time was dedicated to magical girl broadcasts.
The thing is, monsters appear suddenly, and suddenly a flashy girl emerges to defeat them.
… This kind of news happens frequently and is easy to report, but there aren’t many other stories to fill the news.
All news channels have this vibe.
Which monster is in which area, and which magical girl handled it, etc.
“The broadcasting fee is such a waste.”
“Hmm?”
Ultimately, I pressed the remote button and turned away from the news channel.
“Never mind, let’s watch some cartoons.”
I mumbled, trying to brush off Shiyeon’s confused expression as I pressed the cartoon channel numbers.
Channels 94 to 98.
Shiyeon seemed to want something, extending her palm as if asking for the remote control.
“Is Pretty Magical Girl on? Ah, it is!”
“You’re a magical girl, so why are you watching a magical girl anime….”
“It’s fun!”
Although Shiyeon rarely got emotional, I didn’t quite understand.
Seeing a monster fighting with rebar at a construction site made me wonder if that could actually happen.
Now watching an anime about magical girls fighting purely with bare hands instead of their cane, I let out a breath of disbelief.
Then a thought suddenly crossed my mind….
‘Could I do that too?’
