After a few weeks since Luke had awakened.
It was only a matter of days after he began to think that adapting to this era and realizing how much the world had changed — that, unlike in the past, it was far more peaceful.
“Ahhh!”
“Run away!”
“Civilians, this way!”
A panicking crowd, and a few guiding them.
Luke wondered what was going on as he pushed through the crowd and saw a figure in the middle of the street laughing heartily while throwing cars.
No, it might be more accurate to call him a monster. The only resemblance he had to a human was that he walked on two legs and could speak.
The car he threw crashed into the road, making a loud, screeching sound.
As if irritated by that noise, the monster leapt and stomped on the car, silencing the ruckus.
“Kuahaha! Is there anyone who can stop me?”
Standing arrogantly on top of the wrecked car, resembling a vanguard commander, it had a face resembling that of a crocodile, and bat-like wings protruded from its back.
Its muscles were bulging intimidatingly, and its skin glistened a deep blue.
Fortunately, it seemed to have enough intelligence to wear at least some pants.
After all, even goblins and orcs know how to cover their own shame.
If it could speak human words, it would surely wear pants.
But what kind of monster is that, to be rampaging like that in the middle of this big city?
Now that he thought about it, it was truly strange.
There seemed to be no one here to maintain order in this large city.
‘What the hell happened during the 5000 years I was gone…?’
It was the moment Luke considered whether he should step in himself that he heard a voice calling out.
“Stop, you villain! If you keep this up, I, the Spirit Girl Meruru, will not forgive you!”
“Huh?”
Luke immediately turned his head towards the voice of the still-young girl.
‘What is…?’
What he saw was a girl, looking about 13 to 15 years old, dressed in clothing that was far removed from modern fashion, boldly pointing a glamorous cane while shouting.
‘That child is the guardian of this city?’
It was really strange.
In the past Luke was aware of, a 15-year-old was certainly not considered an adult, right? So that must mean she was still a child.
And sending a child into battle signified that the situation had deteriorated to such an extent, even amidst war.
That girl was far too young for city militia activities.
“Wow! It’s the Spirit Girl Meruru!”
“We’re saved!”
“Go, Meruru!”
Luke was bewildered by the sudden turn of events.
The girl known as Meruru winked at the crowd.
“It’s getting dangerous now, so everyone run away!”
“I’ll cheer for you, Meruru!”
The moment everyone turned to flee, only Luke couldn’t do so.
What kind of madness is this?
To leave a child behind and have the adults run away?
Luke couldn’t comprehend it and did not wish to understand it.
If he did, wouldn’t his actions of rushing out from the Academy and the Magic Tower to join the war become completely meaningless?
Luke had participated in the war to alleviate at least a little of the misfortune that boys and girls of that era would face.
Therefore, right now, Luke could not move.
“Kid, hurry and run away!”
Meruru shouted encouragingly. Luke raised his hand towards her, activating the circle engraved on his heart.
‘It’s a First Circle, but my mana is sufficient, so depending on how I use it, I might be able to kill that monster.’
If he forced it, he could even push to a Second Circle, and if he tried once, there was a fifty-fifty chance he could reach the Third Circle.
A speaking monster would surely possess a high level of intelligence.
It’s possible that it could use magic, Luke lowered his body, encasing himself in a shield, ready to move in any direction at once.
But the monster just laughed again, exclaiming.
“Ha ha ha! It seems this little brat is scared!”
To the monster, the ten-year-old kid seemed to be on the verge of collapsing, losing strength in her legs.
Luke intentionally didn’t correct its perception.
The enemy’s carelessness was always advantageous to him.
“In that case, I’ll take you hostage!”
With a sharp screech, the monster’s claw shot forward with explosive speed befitting its muscular frame.
Luke immediately adjusted his stance and attempted to ensnare its arm with a temporary operation of a Second Circle.
But at once, Luke turned the circle.
He wrapped mana around his feet to reduce the surface friction. It was the base of granting a spell, which would merely make him slip a bit.
However, with the proficiency of someone like Luke, it became indistinguishable from a wet, icy road.
He firmly anchored two points of mana in mid-air. They would act as temporary space anchors, connected by a thin wire.
‘Gris, Mana Spot, Mana Wire.’
A magical trap formed on the spot in an instant.
The result of the simultaneous deployment of Gris, Mana Spot, and Mana Wire.
It was simple to adjust the monster’s attack trajectory with the wire, raising it to an angle that made it easy to sweep aside.
At this rate, its attack would surely miss.
Thanks to the shield, even if it landed directly, he would be fine, but if his body were lifted up, he wouldn’t be able to retaliate.
“Danger!”
But Meruru judged that the situation was very perilous.
Bang-!
“Urgh…!”
Meruru wrapped herself around Luke, blocking the monster’s attack with her body.
With a thud, Meruru and Luke crashed into the ground.
Luke quickly looked at Meruru’s condition and shouted.
“Meruru, are you okay?”
“I’m fine. What about you…?”
Meruru pulled Luke from her arms and scanned him for any injuries.
Of course, thanks to the shield, not even a hair on Luke was hurt.
“You seem fine, thank goodness…”
But while she said that, she didn’t look fine at all.
Because of her youthful appearance, had she put this child in unnecessary danger?
Should he have explained things beforehand? However, Meruru’s reflexes were something he never could have predicted.
To come wrap around him from that distance…
As he gently stroked Meruru’s back, which could have been injured by the monster, he tried to reassure her.
“You don’t need to worry about me,”
The moment Luke was about to say something, a citizen fleeing nearby approached her.
“Meruru, are you okay?”
“I’m alright! Quickly take this child somewhere safe!”
“Got it, don’t worry. Meruru!”
In an instant.
“Wait a moment…!”
“Stop, it’s dangerous over there!”
Luke struggled, but due to a citizen desperately carrying him away, the distance from Meruru kept increasing.
———-
A few days after that incident, a blue spirit who introduced itself as Pi appeared before Luke.
– Become a Spirit Girl!
“Spirit Girl?”
– You’re the only one in this city who can bond with a spirit!
“……”
Surely, looking at the blue spirit before him, he could understand that.
A spirit wouldn’t even appear if there were no affinity in the first place.
“Sorry, Pi. I’m not a girl.”
– Understood, then I’ll just call you my lady.
“……”
That wasn’t what he meant…
– Anyway, you must become a Spirit Girl right now! We don’t know when the monster will come again! Meruru is currently injured and can’t fight!
The reason Meruru was injured was probably his fault.
Thinking about that made a discomfort prick in Luke’s heart; he groaned while holding his forehead.
“What exactly is a Spirit Girl?”
– A Spirit Girl is a being who purifies monsters that have transformed into evil creatures and gives people dreams and hopes!
Monsters? Purification? Were they not just monsters?
Dreams and hopes, what kind of story is that?
He couldn’t rationally judge anything in this situation, yet Pi took out a beautifully decorated wand as if it was sufficient explanation.
– If you become a Spirit Girl, take this wand.
During this process, Luke was entranced.
Taking a wand from thin air?
The magic to open a space of nothingness required an Eighth Circle in higher-level magic!
Thinking that way, all previous questions vanished.
“Where did that wand come from?”
– That’s not important! If you become a Spirit Girl, quickly pick up the wand. Otherwise, I’ll have to search for someone else.
Luke concluded his thoughts.
He felt curious about what a Spirit Girl was, but what decisively pushed him to make that decision were guilt and a sense of responsibility.
Wasn’t the reason behind Meruru’s injury his fault?
Moreover, there was no way that little girl (of course, Meruru was definitely taller than Luke by at least 25 centimeters) should be fighting against monsters.
Battles are meant for adults.
“Alright, I’ll become a Spirit… that is.”
It seemed somewhat difficult to call himself a girl…
– Good thinking! From now on, you are a Spirit Girl!
Pi exclaimed happily.
Luke looked down at the wand he held.
‘This wand is quite elaborately inscribed with a complex spell… However, the mana circuit doesn’t seem to function properly…’
It was a wand of an unfamiliar form.
Perhaps it’s not meant to be used for Class Magic?
Could it be that this is also a new magic system?
He felt intrigued.
– Now, I’ll tell you the incantation! What’s your name, my lady?
Luke’s head froze at the word ‘my lady.’
Is this spirit really going to call him that?
“…I am Luke Irushi.”
– I see! But ‘Luke’ isn’t cute! Let’s call you ‘Lurushi’ instead! It’s a spell derived from Lu and Lushi!
“What are you doing, moving the story along by yourself!”
To change his name so arbitrarily was highly insulting…
– Now, while raising the wand above your head, shout ‘Spiriru Piriru, Lurushi Transformation!’ and you’ll become a Spirit Girl!
“What kind of incantation is that…”
Spiriru Piriru sounds like something children would say without any meaning.
But the incantation indeed had magical effects; Luke understood that well.
‘Indeed, I shouldn’t just dismiss the incantation as ridiculous…’
In fact, if it were not uncomfortable to pronounce, it would be considered quite a good incantation. ‘Spiriru Piriru’ was among the simpler phrases to pronounce in incantations.
However, for some reason, Luke felt embarrassed.
The exact reason was unknown to him.
“Spiriru, Piriru, Lurushi… Transform…!”
Swish…!
The room was engulfed in bright light.
A very strong light.
However, his eyes were not blinded at all; the light had undoubtedly been magically treated for safety.
What kind of magic was this, Luke took in all the proceedings while activating his magic sight.
Then, with a pop, his clothes burst into a radiant light.
Panic.
In that fleeting moment, Luke could only watch as his clothing disappeared in the light.
‘Wait, my clothes…?’
The outfit Yerna bought for him at a high price, just like that — it vanished! Truly, how could that happen!
‘To be made naked all of a sudden…’
While it was a slightly chilly feeling, the light wrapped around him like clothing, maintaining a form that was neither cold nor hot. Furthermore, the light approaching his head gently caressed him as if it were tidying his hair.
After a moment passed, with a pop, the entity of light burst forth, transforming into a complete outfit.
As if signifying the end of the transformation, the light that filled the room faded away.
– Now, the transformation is complete! Look at yourself!
Pi magically created a mirror in front of Luke.
And the figure of Luke reflected in it was that of a cute girl, wearing a small vest adorned with a large ribbon and bells on the chest, along with a diaphanous outfit highlighted by frills, smaller ribbons, long gloves, and stockings, featuring lovely split twin-tails.
“What is this…!”
– That’s the combat outfit of a Spirit Girl!
“Why is changing clothes considered a transformation! This outfit is not suitable for battle at all! Something like knight armor would be much better than this thin, flashy outfit!”
– Lurushi, that’s incorrect!
Pi spoke to Luke as if teaching him.
– The source of a Spirit Girl’s power comes from people’s dreams and hopes. Heavy and thick clothing holds no dreams or hopes!
“That’s…”
Luke looked down at the outfit he was wearing, covering his face.
It was too embarrassing.
However…
‘Certainly, this outfit has a tremendous level of enchantment…’
What he was currently wearing was not merely a garment but was more like a magic in itself.
It would not be an exaggeration to say it was a spell itself, levels of mana arrangement complex and incomprehensible to Luke swirling together and be read in his magic sight.
With such a bizarre design, the depth of the enchantment made Luke’s curiosity as a mage suddenly rise.
‘If I could fully interpret the enchantment placed on this outfit…’
Luke again looked down at the wand in his hand.
‘The magical technique contained within this wand is just as intriguing.’
The embarrassment and confusion washed away from Luke’s face, replaced with an insatiable curiosity and eagerness.
Before he knew it, Luke’s eyes were gleaming.
– It seems you’re pleased now!
Seeing that expression, Pi smiled brightly at Luke.
Not having a clue about what would happen next…
——–
On a clear spring day, Luke was walking through the city.
This could be considered a peaceful day.
While enjoying a leisurely walk in the wind, he suddenly heard the blue spirit trailing beside him shout out.
– Lurushi, there’s a monster reaction over there!
Following Pi’s words, there indeed seemed to be a monster laughing heartily while tormenting people.
Luke immediately raised his hand and muttered.
“Spiriru Meteor Light Saber.”
Boom—!!
“Kuahaha! Run aw—!”
A pure beam of cleansing light made up entirely of raw mana came crashing down from the air.
The monster was completely obliterated by that white pillar of light.
An empty ending.
– …This is too much; there’s no dream or hope…
“Dreams and hopes can bloom even within peace. It’s best to take action before daily life becomes precarious.”
Once a monster starts causing chaos, it’s already too late.
It’s best to unleash the most effective attack as soon as possible before damage occurs.
– Not even transforming!
“I already finished interpreting that ‘combat outfit’, didn’t I? I’ve already embedded that enchantment into every piece of everyday clothing, so there was no reason to transform.”
Luke had interpreted all the mana structures and spells of the combat outfit and inserted them into all his clothing.
Mana from uncertain sources like dreams and hopes was converted into the mana patterns spinning in the circle within his heart.
– Breaking the wand into pieces!
“I didn’t break it; I dismantled and miniaturized it. As long as it is well-fitted, it doesn’t matter.”
The red gem existing within Luke’s heart like an accessory was once the ‘Spirit Girl’s Wand’.
Removing unnecessary mana patterns and arrangements, the wand was compactly redesigned so that now it could unleash magic without having to be held.
– There’s something weird, it’s strange…
Pi grumbled.
“Oh, right, something I hadn’t asked due to all the research and development until now.”
“Hmm?”
Luke answered Pi with a slightly cold voice.
“How many Spirit Girls like this one exist now?”
– …I cannot tell you that! I don’t know anything!
What Pi could ascertain was only that ‘Lurushi’ was the final Spirit Girl.
