Chapter 53

Kabe is visible.

Not collapsed weakly like before, but properly crouched on the grass in the form of a wolf.

Having no strength to walk, she barely made it here with Dusik and Sohee supporting her on both sides. But as soon as she saw Kabe sitting there, strength surged up as if it were a lie.

Strength returned to her legs.

She started running, completely unrelated to her will.

“Kabe…!”

Her throat tightened.

She barely managed to call Kabe’s name.

“Kabe… my daughter…!”

At her voice, Kabe also turned her head to look at her.

The lifeless look in her eyes regained vitality, and as Kabe tried to stand up, her legs trembling, her vision began to blur.

Her daughter, whom she almost lost.

“Kabe…!”

At a distance where she could reach out and touch, she hugged Kabe as if she were about to collapse.

Wet fur.

Weak, limp legs.

“Mom…”

Something rough, wet, but warm kept licking her cheek.

It must be Kabe’s tongue.

“Mom, are you okay?”

Even in this situation, her lovely daughter worries about her mom first.

“Mom’s okay… Kabe, are you okay?”

“I’m okay, Mom.”

“If Kabe’s okay, Mom’s okay too…”

Her throat tightened, making it hard to continue speaking.

The image of Kabe suffering in the underwater prison still lingers in her mind.

Thinking that she, a half-baked mom who can’t even use magic, made her daughter suffer like this, her heart breaks.

“Mom’s okay… as long as Kabe’s okay, Mom’s okay too…”

Muttering that she’s okay, and rubbing her face against Kabe’s, she cried endlessly.

—

“Alright, the broadcast is over. The fight’s done, so…”

She picked up the camera hanging from the banner and smiled.

“Well, everyone. Did you enjoy the fight?”

No answer could be heard.

“Anyway, the broadcast ends here… huh, what?”

The camcorder was off.

When the camcorder is connected to the broadcast, a red light should be blinking, but now, not only is there no red light, but water is dripping when shaken.

“Ah, seriously. Annoying. When did this turn off?”

“I’ll check it when we get home.”

“Okay, thanks.”

Maybe it got damaged from the water earlier.

Or maybe it broke somewhere else.

“Eh. Can’t help it if it’s already broken.”

“Uh, boss.”

At Dusik’s voice, she looked up from the camcorder to Dusik.

“Sorry to bother you when you’re busy… but you might not know.”

Dusik awkwardly pointed at her right hand.

Following his finger, she looked at her right hand, which now had a white glove on it.

And from the rivet on the back of the glove, dark magic was rising like her left hand.

Whoa, startled.

What’s this?

Thinking that what was on the left hand might have moved to the right, she checked her left hand, but nothing had changed.

From both the left and right hands, dark magic was rising.

“Boss, by any chance… are you hearing any voices in your head?”

“Voices?”

“Yes. Since magical girls and minions share the same foundation, if you become stronger, a voice should tell you in what way you’ve become stronger and what abilities you’ve gained.”

Voices.

I don’t hear anything.

「Maternal Instinct Manifestation.」

Huh?

「Stage 1, [Awareness] confirmed.」

Huh?

「Right arm magic pathway released.」

「Left arm ability increased.」

「Right arm Magic Control Technique, 1st form, Absorption Engraving. Engraving location, palm.」

Right arm, meaning the right hand.

An engraving on the palm, huh.

She took off the glove on her right hand and looked at her palm.

Indeed, something was engraved.

A magic circle-like pattern drawn in red lines, and in the center of the pattern… isn’t this a mouth?

Wide-open lips and the teeth inside.

This definitely looks like a mouth.

“Sister, what is this?”

“Well, I don’t know.”

“Can I touch it?”

Sohee, standing next to her with Dusik, asked while looking at her palm.

It shouldn’t be a problem, but since the pattern is unfamiliar, I’m not sure what it is. While hesitating whether it’s okay to let her touch it, Sohee reached out and placed her palm on mine.

“Sister…”

A strange thing happened simultaneously.

Sohee’s white face flushed red, and her legs seemed to lose strength as she slumped down as if collapsing. Yet, she held onto my hand tightly, and I felt the magic drained from my right hand being replenished.

“Huh, huuuh… heeet, uh, sister…”

Leaning against me as if hugging, Sohee’s face turned bright red, muttering “sister, sister” repeatedly, unable to stand properly.

“Sohee, snap out of it. Why are you like this?”

When I removed her hand and tapped her cheek, Sohee finally seemed to regain her senses, shaking her head. But she still looked a bit dazed, her face red as she stared at me.

“Uh, sister.”

“Yeah.”

“That technique… might be absorbing the magic of the person caught. The moment I held your hand, the magic within me started flowing out in chunks… I couldn’t let go even if I wanted to.”

“Oh?”

Right hand for magic absorption, left hand for magic release.

Then…

I clasped my left and right hands, both still emitting dark magic.

What happens if absorption and release happen simultaneously?

In the end, nothing happened.

How anticlimactic.

Then, Sohee grabbed my wrist.

“Sister, that’s fine but…”

“Yeah?”

“A bit more…”

“Yeah.”

“A bit more of me…”

“…Yeah?”

“Could you take a bit more of my magic…?”

“Huh, huh? Huh?”

Why is she like this?

—

“Alright. Is everyone here?”

It’s quite embarrassing to stand in front of the kids in my messy state, but it’s also a mark that I fought alongside them.

Standing on the podium as at the beginning, I looked around at the minions.

Two have disappeared.

Two minions from my squad were annihilated by Aquamarine’s attack, and it’s particularly disheartening that it happened to my squad.

Moreover, one of the annihilated kids was the one who went to get allowance money for the PC room, which makes it even more disheartening.

It can’t be helped.

Sacrifices are inevitable in battles.

From now on, I just need to do better.

“How is it, kids?”

“Good!”

Now, even without asking how things are, the kids understand me well.

It seems the time we’ve spent together has grown quite long.

“Vesprede.”

Pressing the ring on my left hand, Vesprede was summoned and clung to my hand.

“One-hand gun.”

The rifle changes into a handgun.

I raised the handgun high.

“Kids, do you see what this is?”

“Magic gun!”

“You know well. Your mother, I, today made a hole in the forehead of Aquamarine, the vice president of the Magical Girl Association, with this magic gun.”

“Did you make it breezy for her?”

“Yeah, I did. You, come to my room tomorrow. I’ll give you allowance.”

“Thank you, Mother!”

“Alright.”

Enough joking.

I looked around at the minions once more.

Fifteen minions, Dusik, Sohee. And Kabe, clinging to my leg.

“Today, we have achieved victory for the first time in ten years. Moreover, we have forced the vice president of the Magical Girl Association to retreat. Even if humans don’t know, now the Pangyo Station area has become a dark territory, which will further enhance our combat power.”

“Yes!”

“I promise you.”

“Until the time comes when you say it’s only natural.”

“Until then.”

“I will make you continue to taste this victory.”

“So.”

“Don’t die.”

Even as quasi-life forms, death is not something to be unafraid of.

Even if they return after turning into magic, there’s no guarantee they’ll be the same minions who fought here.

Losing a minion who fought alongside me is sad.

Even if I don’t even know their name.

Until the day my power grows stronger, our power grows stronger, and the magical girls can never ignore us.

No, until the day they fear us, I will continue to win.

—

*

—

“Kabe, blow on it before eating. You’ll burn your palate.”

Cutting the liver into small pieces, I placed them on Kabe’s spoon.

After the fight earlier, Kabe seemed particularly listless, so I deliberately chose a liver soup restaurant for the gathering.

Sitting Kabe on my lap and feeding her the liver, Kabe looked up at me and asked.

“Mom, aren’t you eating?”

“Mom will eat too. You eat first.”

There’s soup in front of me too, but I have to feed the kid first.

After all she’s been through.

Thinking of Kabe crouching on the grass still makes my heart break.

“Mother… no, sister. Have a drink.”

Ah.

I really can’t resist this.

“Kabe, come to your sister?”

“Okay.”

Quick-witted Dusik took Kabe, and Kabe, after looking at me once, silently moved to Dusik’s lap.

Sohee handed me a glass, and as I took it, the soju filled the glass with a pleasant sound.

Raising the glass, I saw my palm through the transparent glass.

The engraving had disappeared after the transformation.

Ahh.

A few minions came and went, and the glasses were passed back and forth.

Eating side dishes as the alcohol goes down~!

“Sister, take my glass too.”

“Alright, I’ll take Sohee’s glass too. You worked hard today. Your scythe skills were amazing.”

They were amazing. Bow down! If you hadn’t bowed, the scythe might have stuck in my temple.

“How could I do such a thing to you, sister. Even if you didn’t bow, I would have thrown it so you wouldn’t get hurt.”

I see.

But I need to ask later about how your stamina recovers.

“Ask anytime. I will tell you everything without hiding a thing.”

But I’ve just been thinking, and Sohee is answering promptly.

Is my thinking showing?

“Oh, thinking? Aren’t you speaking out loud now? Don’t tell me, sister…”

Huh?

“Are you drunk?”

Huh?

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