“If you just look at it, you can’t argue that’s not a monster.”
Looking at its size, it resembled that monster I saw last time, the one wearing a tiger skin.
I don’t know why it showed up right when I was around.
“This needs to fly a little higher.”
Thank goodness, the depth of the sea was only up to the monster’s shoulders, which meant we could position ourselves to dive onto the monster’s head.
“I think I might need your help a bit.”
Ria said,
“It seems like it uses magic power too.”
“If I can help, of course I’m coming with you.”
I nodded.
But before that…
I wrapped my arms tightly around Ria’s waist.
“Uh, hey!?”
Ria made a funny sound as if she didn’t expect that, but I pretended not to hear and just clung closer to her.
“Wait a moment. I’m going to pray now.”
“Hugging a same-gender friend from behind…?”
“…No, I’m just trying to deliver my Saint Power better, you know?”
But more than that, it was ridiculous how Ria reacted after she had confidently pulled me in for our photo earlier.
With time pressing, there was no room for a silly argument.
I held Ria tightly from behind, closed my eyes, and began to summon my power.
Honestly, I didn’t even know if my actions could be called a prayer now.
At the moment, I couldn’t understand my purpose clearly, so I felt I had to stay vigilant, but now it was different.
That being up there might just be really good at acting or trying to trick me—yet, every time I summoned my power, all I felt was a genuine affection for humans. It hurriedly provided power when healing a wounded child, and it never refused me whenever I needed strength.
I didn’t really believe in a god; perhaps that being brought me here out of anger because I talked like that about the novel it wrote—but even so, I felt a greater purpose.
…Sure, it was a rather religious judgment, and to be honest, I didn’t quite like it.
But isn’t that how facts work? Whether I believe it or not, the truth simply exists.
My body was enveloped in a soft light.
My hands felt a bit numb. The bleeding had stopped, but the wound on my hand from before still felt a bit sore. Maybe that was why I could connect better with that being.
…A being created merely to make sacrifices for a purpose. If that being above is looking at me like that—
—If you don’t want to, you can stop.
The voice was not mocking at all.
It was simply a voice that genuinely cared for me.
If it were a fervent religious person, what would they think about that? A reproachful voice? Or the devil’s temptation? Like in the old scriptures, a whisper from the devil tempting a saint who is inclined to sacrifice?
Ironically, even the existence of that devil could only exist according to the intentions of the supreme being. So, it wouldn’t be strange if that devil’s voice is actually a question from the supreme being, right?
…
Well, it sounds so simple it’s almost silly to think about now.
The entity that I believed to be a god wasn’t all that omnipotent.
But that’s exactly why I could boldly ask for strength, without needing to question any of it.
A soft light wrapped around Ria.
“Okay.”
Ria said, and for some reason she seemed a bit heated.
“For now, I’ll ride this and get as close to the edge of that whirlpool as possible.”
“…Are you sure?”
I watched the whirlpool swirling around the monster.
The Hunters quickly dodged, but those tentacles that looked like they had no solidity at all couldn’t do the same. Beyond the whirlpool, I could see some creatures spiraling around, unable to resist the current.
The monster looked around, searching for Glaria. If there was an opportunity, it was now.
Without answering me, Ria had already started to increase her speed.
Honestly, I didn’t really like it, but—
I trust Ria. It’s not just because I read the novel, but because I’ve watched Ria and acted alongside her.
Ria declared.
“Got it.”
The motorcycle had a certain height it could achieve.
Ria did as she said.
She went to the edge of the spinning whirlpool, utilizing the current to accelerate at an angle for maximum speed—then, caught up in the momentum, she twisted the motorcycle towards the monster.
I don’t really remember how everything unfolded after that.
Since I’ve always pursued stability over thrill in life, I honestly didn’t enjoy such ‘excitement’ much—but—
“I’m jumping!”
Ria yelled, and indeed, I was jumping just as she said.
Ria’s hand was on my waist.
Before the motorcycle fell into the revealed depths, we jumped toward the sky.
Ria kicked the air forcefully. As always, we ran through the sky in such an unreal way.
With my arms wrapped around her waist to keep from falling, I felt Ria’s body so vividly, just like when we took the photo earlier. Yeah, even in this situation.
Ria raised her sword high above her head.
As the monster, aiming at Glaria and Davi, realized this change, it turned to look at us. When its tentacles, which were stuck like hair between its crown and back of the head, turned our way, it was already too late.
Ria swung down her sword with all her might.
My Saint Power enveloped the sword, which cut the magic power that weakly wrapped around the monster’s body like it was slicing through tofu.
And even to the flesh beneath.
The sword was somewhat short to cut through the tentacles in half, but it was long enough to slow down our fall.
After landing on the monster’s crown, before its hand could come crashing down, Ria stabbed the sword into its head.
Crack. I could hear a horrifying sound that was unsettling even for me, indicating her crushing the skull.
“Hang on tight.”
Ria pulled her hands away from my waist, grabbed the sword handle with both hands, and forcibly twisted it to pull it out. The broken skull, which I could only infer from the sound moments ago, was now horrifically clear.
Nonetheless, I didn’t avert my gaze.
“————!”
As Ria pulled the sword out, a thick tentacle that stuck to its head flew off too. It wasn’t completely severed, but some parts were still attached, and the bodily fluids flowing out made it even more gruesome.
The monster’s hand was finally aimed at us—but—
From below, magic flew toward that hand. As the magic struck, blood spilled, and the monster let out a terrifying scream once more.
“Here we are.”
Ria said.
Where the sword had been drawn out, a dark mass was revealed. It wasn’t simply filled with magic power, it was somewhat ambiguous to call it a ‘magic sphere.’
Thinking of that dark and swollen brain, it was precisely that.
I knelt down. Ria also leaned down beside me and held on tightly. The monster was violently thrashing, trying to plunge into the sea, and we were heavily rocked along with it.
I reached out my hand toward the sky. Light poured down from the high heavens. Steam rose as though a fire was lit on the monster’s head, and a louder wail echoed, drowning out all other sounds.
At the end of that light, a thin shining thread could be seen.
I lightly grabbed the end with my fingers—
And yanked it down hard, plunging it deep into the monster’s head. In that instant, I felt a sticky and soft sensation I didn’t want to feel in my hand anymore,
“Be careful!”
Ria held onto my waist tightly. The two of us were in freefall.
From the monster’s head, amidst the drop, white light was blazing.
*
I didn’t faint or anything.
But I gulped down a lot of water as I came back up, so honestly, my memory is a bit hazy.
Still, it seems like Ria kept talking to me, and eventually, I properly managed to get back on the motorcycle.
What’s certain is that the swimming lessons I had weren’t put to very good use.
“Are you coming to your senses?”
At Ria’s words, I blinked.
So, I remember throwing up the water as soon as I got back onto solid ground, and I just wanted to lie down for a bit. Ria had agreed to that.
But when I came to my senses, I found myself lying on Ria’s thigh.
“…What happened?”
“Well, I thought lying in the sand was a little too much.”
“We’re still on the beach.”
“Want me to let you go? Is that better?”
“…”
It’s a bit embarrassing that I hesitated over that.
Honestly, I fleetingly thought I wanted this a bit longer.
Not because I was in pain, but simply because it was Ria’s thigh.
Yeah, if that’s a little bit of a guilty pleasure, then it is. Unfortunately, my sexual orientation remained the same as when I was a guy.
…It’s not like Ria particularly likes Lee Si-yoon, so there’s no chance for a yuri drift or anything.
What am I even saying?
“Huh? What are you gonna do?”
People around us were bustling about. Naturally, there would be a lot to check out after such an incident.
Above all, since things had escalated this far, there would be detailed reports going to the Church.
If the Church’s people found out that the two of us were in swimsuits—
My head started spinning.
“…Let’s rest a bit longer.”
Yeah. For now, I need to stabilize myself.
It’s more of a practical issue than a personal one. I can’t just recklessly stand up and fall down in this spinning state, right?
Ria laughed as if it was ridiculous.
She stretched her legs out and relaxed, adjusting her posture comfortably with her arms behind her.
It looked like she could stay like that forever.
We probably sat like that for about ten more minutes.
![[TS] The End of Magical Girls Has Come](https://i3.wp.com/darkmtl.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/1737407792-8993-TS-The-end-of-magical-girls-has-come.png?resize=85,105 "[TS] The End of Magical Girls Has Come")
