Chapter 24

“Any reaction this time?”

“…None!”

Now, I’ve been flying around for hours chasing the reaction of the Crystal Stone.

But the Crystal Stone only becomes traceable when activated, so after days of no reaction, it’s been hard to find.

This search operation is really… a pain in the neck.

“Tsk… No reaction again this time…”

“What should we do?”

“Probably best to give up and head back today.”

We’ve been checking signals from Baron-Class and Viscount-Class, but aside from what Diamond Dust and Pretty Heart took down, there’s nothing.

That Crystal Stone user… when are they going to show up?

“Baron-Class demon signal!”

“Let’s head over there first. They might appear.”

“Got it!”

If I fly straight to the left from here, I should find it.

Then… huh? Wait, what’s that?

“Cr-Crystal Stone reaction!! Finally found it!!”

“I know. Some suspicious guy broke through the barrier set by the mascot and is running towards the demons.”

First… is that a girl?

She has straight hair and looks kinda cute.

Her height and appearance suggest she’s close to middle school…

No, maybe high school.

But seeing how she still has that cute vibe, it’s probably better to think of her as a middle schooler.

…Anyway, how does a kid like that have a Crystal Stone?

“…Something’s off. A kid like that wouldn’t do such a thing, right?”

“You think so?”

“Think about it. Would a minor really do something like that? No way they’re directly involved with those guys. It’s not impossible, but…”

“That’s… true! No way they’d be directly involved!”

“Right, it doesn’t make sense. At most, they might have been tempted by some shady site trading Crystal Stones.”

By the way, where did Diamond Dust go? This is a Baron-Class demon, so it’s her responsibility.

Why is she so… oh, there she is flying over now.

“Uwaah~… I’m late…”

“……”

“Huh?!”

“…Hey. Why are you so late?”

“W-well… I was in the shower when the signal came… couldn’t help it…”

“…Fine. Just head back for today. I’ll handle the rest.”

“…Okay.”

So, I sent Diamond Dust back since she didn’t need to know… now it’s that kid.

Oh, she’s fighting better than expected?

For someone who’s only taken down three demons, she’s using her abilities surprisingly well.

And she’s even using [Physical Enhancement] properly… something’s off.

How does she handle it so well?

“…Whatever it is, capturing her at the mascot level is impossible. She fights when no one’s looking, and when the mascots catch up, she quickly runs away…”

“We need to act soon! She’s about to defeat them!”

“Right.”

Then, I’ll block her path when she’s chased by the mascots.

Oh, she’s running away right after defeating them.

The path is… over there?

“Let’s block her there.”

“Got it!”

With that decided, I stood in the middle of the path the Crystal Stone user was escaping through, waiting for her to come this way.

It’s a one-way path, so she has no choice but to come here.

“Ah?!”

“……”

First… I’ll ask her some questions, so I should tell the chasing mascots to stop.

A stop gesture… well, they’ll probably get it.

Even animals instinctively understand gestures like this.

“Uh, uh? Th-that famous magical girl…?!”

“You, I have some questions.”

“M-me…?”

“Yeah. Who else would it be?”

“Ugh…”

Even now, she’s clutching the Crystal Stone tightly with both hands… is it that precious to her?

How much is it traded for to be like that, or is there another reason…

“How did you get the magical girl’s Crystal Stone?”

“Th-this?!”

“Of course, that’s why I’m asking. So, how did you get it? Be honest. I won’t kill you or anything, so speak up.”

“……”

I need to know if it’s through some shady site or something so I can deal with those guys, so don’t clam up and just tell me.

Or maybe I should torture it out of her…

“…Th-this… my friend gave it to me… three years ago…”

“…What?”

“Three years ago, when my friend died, she gave it to me!!”

“…I see.”

What a coincidence.

I also got one right before I died.

But if that’s a lie… I’ll kill her right here.

“So, do you remember the exact date?”

“…April 21st… I visit every year… so I remember…”

“…Chubby. Check the records.”

“Got it!”

Hmm… three years ago, April 21st… there really was a kid who died then.

And according to the records, she was instantly killed by that Duke-Class demon…

Ah~ that magical girl who couldn’t escape and died?

And the kid crying over her…

Well, there’s no solid evidence that kid is this kid.

“Where did you live back then?”

“Gangseo District…”

Gangseo District… that matches too.

Then I should check her age.

“How old are you? What school did you go to? Do you remember your friend’s name?”

“I’m in my first year of middle school now… I went to OO Elementary School… my friend’s name was… Kang Yejin… she was Magical Typhoon…”

Three years ago, she was in fourth grade at OO Elementary… Kang Yejin, a second-year magical girl, Magical Typhoon… it all matches.

It matches so perfectly, I can’t say anything.

“…At this point, I guess I have to believe you.”

“Th-then…!”

“Chubby. Contact the Fairy Queen. Also, contact the mascot in charge at that time. They’ll decide how to handle this.”

“Got it!”

Well, even so, her story only matches the records, but it’s not 100% certain.

It’s just highly credible, and the only solid evidence is the mascot in charge of Magical Typhoon at that time.

So now, we just wait for her story and the Fairy Queen’s judgment.

“Ah, you mascots can go back to your work. I’ll handle the rest here.”

“Okay~.”

“Got it~.”

…Honestly, I’m still a bit suspicious.

If it’s a precious Crystal Stone from a friend… wouldn’t you keep it safe?

But she suddenly uses it to defeat demons?

Well, if a demon suddenly appears in front of you, you might use it.

It’s your last line of defense.

But… I don’t get why she’d run to where demons are and use the Crystal Stone to defeat them.

Why would she do that?

“Um… how long do I have to stay like this…”

“This is a really sensitive issue, so we need precise verification. That’s why we’re getting information from the mascot in charge of your friend, Magical Typhoon.”

“Rampage! We’ve got responses from both places!”

Oh, it’s finally over.

“So, what did they say?”

“It’s all true! She said if she died, she wanted to pass the Crystal Stone to her friend!”

“…Really?”

So, it’s true… huh… it’s all true…

Since the mascot in charge confirmed it, I guess I should drop my suspicions.

If a trustworthy witness says so, it’s weird to keep doubting.

“What did the Fairy Queen say?”

“If it’s confirmed to be true, you can just let her go! But if she dies, we’ll retrieve it…”

“Th-then… can I go home now?!”

“…Sorry, but let’s talk a bit more.”

“Huh…?”

“No, I have something to tell you about the Crystal Stone.”

“Wh-what is it?”

By the way, I should warn her about the dangers of the Crystal Stone.

So she doesn’t misuse it.

“Do you know there are two ways to use the Crystal Stone?”

“…Huh?”

“One is the way you’ve been using it, and the other is… absorbing it.”

“……”

“But you see, unlike the Crystal Stone you get when you first become a magical girl, this one contains the original user’s talent, effort, experience, power… everything. Even her soul.”

“…Soul?”

“Yeah. So to absorb it, you need to be highly compatible with the Crystal Stone. Otherwise, you’ll die.”

“D-die…?”

“If you accidentally absorb it, there’s a high chance you’ll die, so I’m telling you this.”

With this warning, she shouldn’t accidentally absorb it.

She probably doesn’t even know how to absorb it, but it’s better to be safe.

Then there’s nothing more to do with her, so should I head back?

…Oh, I should do that.

Almost forgot.

“Chubby. Contact them again and tell them to assign the mascot from back then to her.”

“Got it!”

“Wh-why all of a sudden…”

“Just in case, it’s better to have a mascot assigned to you for surveillance and protection. Someone already knows you’re using the Crystal Stone, and there are definitely people targeting you. You could be kidnapped or killed… that kind of thing could happen.”

“Th-that kind of thing…?”

“Those guys are capable of that. So, to protect you, a mascot should be assigned.”

“Ah…”

“But don’t get too close to them; they’re not your support mascot. Unless you’re willing to risk death to become a magical girl with that.”

“……”

The Crystal Stone is really important, so we can’t let it be stolen.

It’s hard to track since it only reacts when activated.

And… she’s already used it several times to defeat demons, so she’s likely being targeted.

Anyway, is this really the end?

Once the mascot arrives, this case will be truly resolved.

Glad it wasn’t anything major.

Then I can go home and crack open a beer…

…Wait, what’s this kid doing now?

Why is she suddenly absorbing it?!

“……”

“…What are you doing…?”

“Can’t you tell?”

“R-Rampage?! This is bad!!”

“You…”

“I want to carry on my friend’s will and become a magical girl. That’s all.”

“…Fine, if you want to become a magical girl that badly, go ahead. Whether you live or die, it’s entirely your responsibility.”

“Why aren’t you stopping her?!”

I clearly told her she could die, yet she’s doing it anyway, so why should I stop her?

We’re not close, and if she’s that determined, why should I stop a stranger?

I’m not the type to get overly emotional or anything, so I’m not going to force her to stop here.

I know well that crazy people who gamble with such low odds are useless to stop anyway.

Even if they’re fine now, they’ll just do it again later.

So, if she dies here, I’ll just retrieve the stone and send it back, and if she succeeds, I’ll train her as a junior.

If she dies, she dies stupidly, and if she lives, she’s a brave kid… that’s life.

“…Oh, impressive.”

“Ah, ahhh…”

“……”

…But I didn’t expect her to actually succeed in that low-odds gamble.

She coughed up some blood, but she’s clearly alive.

She succeeded, but it was a close call.

“Chubby. Heal her.”

“Yes, got it…!”

By the way, I’m curious why she decided to do this.

To gamble with such a high chance of death without much thought.

I feel like my unnecessary comment might have triggered her, but… she succeeded, so whatever.

“Phew, phew… so, so? You can’t say anything now, right?!”

“…Yeah. From now on, you’re Magical Typhoon.”

“Ha, haha… I did it… Yejin, I did it…!”

…By the way, are all middle schoolers like this?

Why would she suddenly say something like that in this situation?

Why say it out loud instead of just thinking it…

I can’t understand that kind of sentiment.

“We’re here!”

“Hi!”

“Hi, Meriol! So, this kid is Magical Typhoon’s…?”

“Right. She just inherited it before you arrived. So, from today, I want you to be her handler. She’s an amazing kid who succeeded in that gamble.”

“That’s right!”

“Whoa…”

By the way, we’ve got another junior in this area.

We were really short on magical girls, so this should help.

“…Oh, right. You probably can’t control that power yet, so come to the training ground starting tomorrow.”

“Huh? The training ground?”

“The mascot will explain everything. See you tomorrow.”

“Ah, okay… huh?”

“Ah! Let’s go together, Rampage~!”

Magical Typhoon… her talent is probably wind… specifically, the ‘powerful’ wind of a typhoon.

She probably inherited the memories and skills related to the ability, but I should study up too.

Since I’m in the teaching position, I need to have more knowledge.

And I should teach her something new to complement her abilities.

Ah~ more than that, I want to go home and have a beer…