Chapter 118

“This is the witches’ crystal stone…”

“What you’re seeing now is the crystal stone of the Witch of Wind, Magical Wind, whom Rampage defeated last time.”

“It does look a bit different from the magical girls’ crystal stones.”

“It has a somewhat similar appearance to the crystal stones of magical girls like Diamond Dust. However, the reactions are completely different. We still can’t tell if the difference is due to the contamination over time or if it’s because the monsterization process was forcibly halted.”

“Well, I didn’t expect it to be finished already. As long as it’s not too late, it’s fine.”

—

Right now, I’m in the Fairy Realm’s research lab.

This time, I wasn’t specifically summoned; I just came out of curiosity about what the witches’ crystal stones look like.

It’s also a good time since Pretty Heart and Gravity’s storm has just passed, and there’s nothing better to do than this.

—

“…Indeed, it seems there’s a commonality of power from another dimension.”

“Power from another dimension?”

“We’ve been researching the Demon Realm and monsters for a long time. And we’ve gathered energy from various dimensions that the Demon Realm has tried to invade. But… we’ve never found anything like this, not even something similar.”

“…Really?”

“We’ve explored almost every dimension within the interconnected dimensional systems… It’s no exaggeration to say we’ve been to every single one. Yet, we haven’t found anything similar. Doesn’t that strike you as strange?”

“That’s true.”

“That means the unknown incident and contamination that once polluted the Fairy Realm… could very well be a form of invasion from an outer dimension.”

“Invasion?”

“It’s just a hypothesis, but there’s a possibility that something is being prepared based on that contamination. This unknown energy also gives off a sense of some kind of will.”

“A will, huh…”

—

I came here just to hang out, but somehow ended up hearing a story on a massive scale.

Hmm… Would Pandora know about this?

Well, they probably do research like this over there too, so they wouldn’t be completely unaware.

But… what exactly is their goal?

No matter how much I think about it, I can’t figure it out.

—

“…I don’t really get it. For now, the Demon Realm is the priority. Let me know about the outer dimensions later. If we can’t even deal with Pandora, how are we supposed to handle the outer dimensions?”

“That’s true, but…”

“With that said, I’ll be heading back now.”

“Take care. Oh, if you’re curious, you might want to read these as well.”

“Got it.”

—

And so, the sightseeing is over… but handing me all this material about the Demon Realm and crystal stones… when am I supposed to read all this?

No, how am I even supposed to understand all of it?

Sigh… Well, I’ll get around to reading it someday.

—

Actually, now that I’m here, leaving so early feels a bit off.

Maybe I’ll wander around a bit before heading back.

Ah, first, I should go to the store and buy some stuff.

—

“……”

“Rampage! Stop getting used to it!”

—

I came to the Global Zone to buy a variety of things, but once again, I’m being bombarded with flashes.

The magical girls are taking countless photos with their smartphones, and the path to the store is cleared as if it’s a given. It’s almost ridiculous.

I get that I always go to the store when I come here, but why is everyone so coordinated?

No, more importantly, how do they all rush over and do this the moment I arrive?

It’s like… the more I think about it, the more exhausted I feel…

—

“There aren’t any new products this time.”

“Then are you going to stock up on snacks?”

“Yeah. When Nari and Ame come, they sweep through everything like a storm. Maybe I should buy in bulk while I’m at it.”

“That sounds good!”

—

Lately, there are a lot of snacks with peanuts, butter, sesame… you know, those savory kinds.

Most of the recent new products are like that, so it can’t be helped.

Well, I do like savory snacks a lot, so it’s fine.

Especially peanuts… peanut butter ones are the best.

—

“Lately, coming here so often, I feel like I’ve become a world-class star with massive popularity.”

“But you are a world-class star with massive popularity, aren’t you?”

“I guess…”

—

I’ve always heard about it, but every time I come, the crowd and their reactions just keep getting more overwhelming.

It’s not like I’ve been steadily building up my popularity; suddenly experiencing this on the spot, no matter how many times it happens, I just can’t get used to it.

I wonder when I’ll ever get used to this…

—

“Ah, I should buy some chocolate too.”

“Chocolate?”

“Ame came and ate it all, remember? I should start restocking.”

“Ah, that’s right!”

—

That Gravity girl… maybe it’s because her mental age matches her appearance, but she really devoured all the chocolate.

And Diamond Dust kept feeding her while holding her…

—

“…Huh? What’s this?”

“That’s a support weapon!”

“Support weapon? Did they have these?”

“They’ve been selling them for a few years now!”

“Really? Hmm… So, what is it?”

“They’re mostly one-time-use weapons, like bombs! There are also some special weapons that disrupt magical flow… but of course, they don’t work well against higher-level opponents!”

“Really? So, they’re more for those who aren’t used to fighting yet.”

“That’s right!”

—

Support weapons, huh… But there aren’t that many types, are there?

And the price is pretty low, so they’re definitely good for beginners.

Well, they’re practically free.

They’re perfect for newbies.

—

“But doesn’t that mean you’re operating at a loss?”

“Well, yes… but it’s not a significant loss!”

“That’s a relief.”

—

It seems like things are improving bit by bit over time.

It doesn’t benefit me directly, but if it’s good for the newcomers, then that’s good.

We still need a lot of newcomers, and having more things to care for lowers the barrier to entry.

Looks like they’ve been thinking about the shortage of newcomers too.

—

“Oh, what’s this? They’re selling all kinds of candy now?”

“It’s almost White Day!”

“Ah, right…”

“Why do you ask?”

“…Nari is definitely going to storm into my house.”

“Right?”

“I can see the future where she clings to me and demands candy…”

“Ah.”

—

Crazy Heart’s annoying jokes and Typhoon’s chuunibyou tendencies are gradually fading, but why is Pretty Heart only getting worse?

It’s not like I dislike it, so I keep indulging her… but wait, is she doing this because I keep indulging her?

But if I don’t indulge her, she’ll start tearing up, and seeing that just breaks my heart.

So, in the end, I have no choice but to indulge her…

—

“…Let’s just buy a bunch of different kinds for now. I’ll wait for Ame to devour them all later.”

“Somehow, it feels like you’re leaving all the troublesome snacks to Gravity…”

“Because I am?”

—

Well, honestly, since Gravity inhales snacks much faster than Pretty Heart, it’s convenient to leave the troublesome snacks to her.

You can’t keep piling them up forever, and if someone’s willing to eat them all, that’s great.

Besides, it’s not bad for Gravity either.

She just mindlessly devours any snacks nearby and enjoys it, so… it’s a win-win, right?

—

Anyway… did I get everything I needed?

Then I should head home now.

Sigh~… Why does the Fairy Realm have fixed coordinates for using the gate?

Do I have to endure that flash bombardment again?

—

…After enduring the flash bombardment, I somehow made it back home.

Well, “somehow” might be a weird way to put it.

Anyway, I’m home now… Snacks and beer!

—

“Ahhh~.”

“Meow.”

“Don’t try to stick your paw in my cup.”

“……”

“…What’s wrong? Why are you staring at me like that?”

“Hmm… Rampage, your movements have become quite feminine, but why is this part still the same?”

“Who knows? Besides, do you really want me to become more like a girl?”

“No, that’s not it… It’s just that you seem quite different from other male magical girls.”

“Well, that’s just individual differences. Hormonal changes affecting personality and behavior vary from person to person. It’s not like there’s a set rule for how things should change. Right?”

“That’s true!”

—

Hmm… Speaking of which, maybe I should drink more than just beer. Maybe I should start drinking whiskey more often.

That whiskey I had last time was really good, and I just bought some snacks that would go well with it…

Yeah, starting tomorrow, I’ll start consuming more different kinds of alcohol.

—

“By the way, Rampage.”

“What now?”

“Thinking about the battle with the Witch of Wind… have you ever considered creating a sword style?”

“Me? …Well, I do have a preferred way of attacking. But if I start focusing on that, it becomes too predictable. That’s why I avoid it.”

“Ehh… But at least give it a name!”

“That’s exactly what makes you focus too much on it!”

“How about ‘Rampage Sword Style’?”

“That’s lame. Take that smelly name and throw it in the sewer.”

“That’s so mean?!”

—

Hmm… Well, I guess it’s fine to have a name that represents my sword style.

Let’s see… Hmm… Huh… Hmmm… Ugh…

…I don’t know, let’s just call it ‘Light Sword Style.’

It has a nice double meaning.

Well, strictly speaking, my weapon is a light sword, so that’s part of it, but it’s still way better than Chubby’s naming sense.

Anyway, I’ll go with this for now, and if I come up with something better later, I’ll change it.

—

“Grrr…”

“…By the way, why are you on my chest?”

—

I was lying back, drinking beer, and now Max is kneading my chest like he’s making bread.

It’s uncomfortable, so get off, now.

…This guy, do I have to pick him up and put him down myself?

—

“Sigh, no matter how much you act cute, you’re not getting anything.”

“Should I give him a snack instead?”

“Sure. You do it.”

“Okay!”

—

Ugh, even while eating snacks, he still wants me to pet his head.

He’s pushing his head into my hand while munching on snacks.

What a greedy little thing.

He could at least wait until he’s done eating.

—

“…Oh! By the way, the Fairy Realm recently built an educational facility for magical girls!”

“Educational facility? Like a school?”

“No! A school would be too much interference, so it’s more like a place where they can come and learn short-term whenever they have time!”

“Really? So, they teach combat and other things each time?”

“That’s right! The first thing they teach is combat! After that, they cover various knowledge…”

“That’s good. But shouldn’t they have built it sooner?”

“Well, you see… We started building it once we had the resources… It hasn’t been that long since we had the resources…”

“Ah~ Well, I get it. There must be reasons. It’s not like the human world where idiots who only care about their own interests hold power.”

—

Come to think of it, until recently, the Responsible Mascots were handling all the education.

But there must have been limits to that, so having the Fairy Realm build a separate educational facility where they can learn directly is a good idea.

There’s already a training ground, but that’s more for personal use.

On the other hand, having multiple mascots guiding them… no matter how you think about it, that’s just too good.

Man, the Fairy Realm is really developing day by day.

—

“Meow.”

“…You, if you’re going to knead bread, do it next to me. Not on my thigh this time.”

“Meow.”

“……”

—

Anyway, Max is really doing whatever he wants.

Sigh, do whatever you want.