Chapter 10

“Hello~.”

“Yahoo~!”

A day passed, and Pretty Heart came to visit in the morning.

I was about to ask if she didn’t have school, but then I remembered it was the weekend and quickly shut my mouth.

Even if you’re unemployed, you shouldn’t act so obviously like one…

“Well, welcome.”

“Welcome! Tinihu, hello too!”

“Hello, slave~!”

“……”

So, the rumor about Chubby becoming a slave has spread everywhere, huh?

Well, it’s not like fairies don’t gossip.

“Since you’re here, should I make some tteokbokki?”

“Huh? Tteokbokki?”

“It’s my mom’s recipe. With cheese.”

“W-well, I’ll eat it…!”

She fell for it the moment I mentioned cheese.

Yeah… she really likes cheese, huh?

Well, it’s one of the cheat codes.

“How have you been lately?”

“Lately? Hmm~ Exterminating demons has gotten easier, so no problems so far.”

“Is that so?”

If she’s mainly taking down Baron-Class and Viscount-Class demons, and it’s easy for her, then there shouldn’t be any issues.

Even if she encounters an Earl-Class, she probably won’t die easily.

Plus, her purification power is a rare and incredibly strong ability.

“It’s done.”

“Wow…”

Personally, I prefer fish cakes over rice cakes, so I added a lot of them. I hope it’s okay.

Well, if she doesn’t eat them, I’ll just finish them myself.

“Mmm~! It’s delicious!”

She’s eating really fast.

At this rate, she might finish it all, so I better grab my share quickly.

“Big sis, I’ve heard you’ve been visiting the Mascot Headquarters a lot lately. Is something going on?”

“Huh? It’s nothing. I just wanted to try developing some new techniques.”

“New techniques?”

“Yeah.”

So, it’s become a rumor that I’ve been visiting the Mascot Headquarters a lot…

Being unnecessarily famous is such a hassle.

But at least regular people perceive my untransformed self as completely different from my transformed self, so that’s something.

“By the way, big sis, did you know?”

“What?”

“Actually… I’ve learned a new technique too!”

“Really? That’s impressive.”

“Hehe~.”

Pretty Heart with a new technique… Could it be something derived from her purification power?

I didn’t really interfere much, but she’s growing well on her own.

If this keeps up, she might even be able to solo Marquis-Class demons soon.

That would make things easier for me.

Though I feel a bit guilty leaving the extermination to someone like her…

“So, what’s the new technique?”

“It’s called [Shining Rain].”

“[Shining Rain]?”

“It’s rain infused with purification power, concentrated towards the demons.”

“Hmm~ Then dodging it would be impossible. Even if you try hard, you’d still get heavily injured.”

“Yeah, that’s right.”

As expected, it’s purification power…

Plus, her First Ability includes healing, so she can recover on her own. Truly high stats in both offense and defense…

…Wait, did she already finish the tteokbokki?

I only had one bowl…

“Thank you for the meal~.”

“Y-yeah…”

And she doesn’t even look full… What’s up with her stomach?

Girls these days have such scary appetites…

“…Oh, right. Since you were coming, I prepared a lot of desserts too. Want some…?”

“Yes, please!”

“…Alright.”

Let’s see… First, cake, then some tarts, chocolates, and macarons…

“Here.”

“Wow…”

It’s amazing how much she loves this stuff while still maintaining her figure.

Or maybe she usually restrains herself?

“This is my favorite cake!”

“Really? That’s great.”

Seeing her eat mostly chocolate, I guess she’s a chocolate lover like me.

I can’t really enjoy plain cream or sugar flavors.

Chocolate is definitely the best.

“I also bought ice cream, so let me know if you want some.”

“There’s ice cream too?”

“Yeah.”

“T-then… after I finish this, can I have some?”

“……Sure.”

She already ate three servings of tteokbokki by herself, finished all the desserts, and now she’s going straight for ice cream…?

I think I was wrong about her.

She just eats like this and doesn’t gain weight.

“But big sis, are you always like this?”

“Always like this? …Well, yeah. I don’t grow here, but I also don’t age. Being outside the control range means that.”

“S-so… since you don’t age… you’re always that cute…?”

“…Why are you suddenly saying that?”

“N-no! It’s nothing~.”

……I feel a chill, but maybe it’s just my imagination.

“It was delicious~.”

“I’m glad you enjoyed it. By the way… do the mascots always play like that when they meet?”

“I guess so?”

Why are those guys sitting on the living room floor playing poker?

Seriously… I’ll just watch TV.

There’s nothing interesting on, but I’m bored.

Plus, it’s a bit rude to sit at the computer when she’s here to hang out.

“……”

“…What’s wrong?”

“Big sis, can I hug you?”

“…Huh?”

“Gotcha.”

Wait, why are you lifting me up…

……No, are you treating me like a doll…

“Hehe~.”

“……”

I didn’t expect her to sit me on her lap and hug me.

But the height difference isn’t that big, only about 20cm, so it’s awkward.

More importantly, aren’t her thighs hurting?

“It feels like I have a little sister now!”

“Is that so…”

Being hugged by someone so much younger than me feels a bit weird…

Especially when there’s a 10-year age gap.

“…By the way, aren’t you full?”

“Full? Hmm~ I guess I feel satisfied.”

“Impressive…”

“…?”

I guess her stomach just stretches endlessly.

And her nutrient absorption rate seems low.

Or maybe she cuts off absorption after a certain point?

Anyway, this is the first time I’ve seen someone with such a unique trait.

“…Oh, a signal.”

“Right.”

“Viscount-Class demon signal~!”

“Got it~. Let’s transform~!”

Wow… Pretty Heart’s transformation is so sparkly.

Just being near her makes me feel like I’ll be purified.

“I’ll go exterminate the demon now!”

“Alright. Come back and hang out some more.”

“Okay~.”

Pretty Heart, transformed, left with the mascot Tinihu to exterminate the Viscount-Class demon.

But for some reason, watching her leave gave me an uneasy feeling.

“…Hey, Chubby.”

“Yes!”

“Just in case, let’s follow them. From a distance, without being noticed.”

“Huh? Why suddenly?”

“I wasn’t worried before, but lately, because of ‘that’… I think this month will be busy.”

Even though the magical girls have been notified, Pretty Heart is pure and kind.

Even if I tell her it’s okay, she wouldn’t want to harm others.

So… if what happened to Blader happens to Pretty Heart, she wouldn’t be able to resist.

……Transform.

“Are you going to swing your staff?”

“This time, the goal isn’t to kill but to separate.”

“But won’t that kill them anyway?”

“Shut up.”

Pretty Heart is heading that way…

Ah, the demon is over there.

Then I’ll just watch from here…

“……”

“R-Rampage-san!”

“…As expected, when a demon appears, a magical girl shows up. I knew you’d be hiding here, you trash…”

But why are these guys all pig-like, and you can’t even tell if they’re male or female?

I’ve never seen a normal-looking one.

Well, whatever, I need to stop them from interfering with Pretty Heart.

“…Ah?! You can’t come this way!”

“You shouldn’t be a magical girl!!”

“Huh?! W-what are you talking about…?”

“Such a dangerous corset…”

“Hey, what do you think you’re doing?”

“Guh?!”

The demon charging at me isn’t my prey, so I just lightly hit it with my staff to push it away, and I knocked out the one trying to interfere with Pretty Heart.

Of course, I didn’t intend to kill, so I used something like an air shockwave, so they’re not seriously hurt.

They’ll just be writhing in pain.

“You crazy bastard… How dare you interfere while a magical girl is fighting?”

By the way, why are they suddenly babbling about corsets and stuff? Regardless, you shouldn’t interfere with a magical girl.

Especially a promising one like her.

“Ugh…”

“B-big sis…?”

“Don’t worry, I didn’t kill them. You just focus on exterminating the demon.”

“Okay…”

I’m human too, so I don’t kill unless I have to.

I’m not that extreme.

Of course, when it’s necessary, I kill without hesitation.

I’ve been trained for that.

“Then… shall I ask why you did this?”

“Gasp…! H-how… a magical girl… gasp, gasp… a person…?”

“A magical girl, a person what? Don’t get it wrong. Magical girls aren’t here to protect humanity. It’s just that the girls who become magical girls are human, so they fight with the mindset of protecting humanity.”

By the way, how sturdy is that local shield? I hit them a bit harder to injure them, but they’re barely hurt.

They’re just gasping from the pain.

“Well, the fairy realm will announce this later, but let me tell you something. Magical girls aren’t absolutely forbidden from killing people. If your ‘betrayal’ is confirmed, we can kill you without hesitation.”

“Gasp, gasp… W-what…?”

“And I don’t know what you think about magical girls to do something like this, but becoming a magical girl requires both talent and the desire to fight… It’s a two-step filter. They’re an ‘elite group’ completely different from trash like you.”

“Gasp, gasp… Y-you… monster… cough?!”

“Monster, what? What are you trying to say? Why do you guys act like this? Are you so jealous of them wearing pretty clothes and earning a lot of money that you’re driven by envy? Is that why you’re causing trouble? Sorry, but you’ve picked the wrong target for your tantrums, you brat.”

Looks like they still haven’t come to their senses.

Well, if they could, they wouldn’t have been swayed by such trashy ideologies in the first place.

“You’ve crossed the line. If you had just talked, I would’ve ignored you, but you tried to harm a magical girl. They’re already risking their lives, and their beauty is meaningless because of the danger. That’s why our country is paying them well. Did that bother you? Huh? Enough to do this?”

“……”

“Did you think making all the magical girls quit by brainwashing them would make everything better? Did you think putting others down would make you happier? Your situation wouldn’t change, and if magical girls started quitting, this country would be destroyed by demons and monsters in no time, you stupid trash. Your actions are rebellion and suicide at the same time.”

“……”

“Living too long under the protection of magical girls has made you blind, hasn’t it? When a demon or monster appears right in front of you, trying to smash your head, it’s the magical girls who fly in to protect you, risking their lives. Understand?”

“Y-you…”

“Shut up. You’re no different from those idiots who rant about disbanding the military. You can’t face reality at all, you brats… Ugh, whatever. It’s not like you’ll understand anyway, you moron. Just get lost. If you don’t want to die here.”

…Even if I say all this, this guy will probably go home and cry while cursing me.

So, wasting my breath here is pointless.

Well, at least I feel a bit better after venting.

“Extermination complete!”

“Good job~!”

Looks like they’re done over there.

What a cute kid.

My sister has no cuteness at all.

“Big sis. Is that person okay?”

“Huh? Oh, yeah. I don’t know how they took my words, but they’re just lying there crying.”

“Is that so?”

“Yeah. So don’t worry and let’s go back. When we get back, let’s have some more ice cream and play party games?”

“Party games? Yes, let’s do it!”

With me, Pretty Heart, and two mascots, that makes four.

Then I’ll set up the game console as soon as we get back.