A Single Bet on Magical Girl Taragon
After the muddy fourth round concluded, the match between Inny Flowering and Dendrobium, set to be the last of the day, was about to begin.
“Well, this will be the final match of the day, Mr. Arongante.”
“Yes. At a certain meeting held not long ago, there were objections raised regarding Inny Flowering’s participation.”
The participants in this tournament, referred to as rookies, mostly ranked around mid-level in the various countries’ magical girl rankings.
Among them, it was considered unreasonable for just one participant to have broken into the upper ranks.
However, aside from the rankings, there were no issues with her participation.
And then…
“An offer has been made by Japan’s top-ranked Kaede and Inny Flowering’s guardian, Thalagong.”
“Before we proceed, many seem surprised by the identity of Inny Flowering’s guardian, correct?”
Thalagong is indeed a ranked individual in Japan but enjoys considerable fame worldwide due to activities across various nations.
Half of that fame, however, stems from infamy, which goes without saying.
“Those who are curious can ask Thalagong themselves, who are somewhere in the venue performing defense duties.”
“While intriguing, let’s move on as it’s unrelated to the match.”
“Understood. Moving back to the topic, a handicap has been granted to Inny Flowering for this bout.”
The stadium, which had been buzzing earlier over Thalagong, now erupted even louder.
Most had placed their bets on Inny, but murmurs of disbelief and frustration arose upon hearing she would fight under a handicap.
“Please note that Inny Flowering has consented to the handicap and looks forward to it.”
“Surprising, indeed, but characteristic of Inny Flowering’s prowess.”
As per usual, the battlefield appeared first.
This time, it featured a large castle towering in the center of an island suspended in the air.
“This is quite an interesting stage, isn’t it?”
“The field was chosen because both combatants can fly. Although, I suppose we cannot say much about Inny Flowering in that regard.”
Both competitors stepped onto the field.
Dendrobium had faint fairy-like wings on her back, carried a jagged sword strapped to her back, and held a long staff made of iron-like material in her right hand.
“Let us introduce Dendrobium first.”
Representative of the Fairy Bureau, Dendrobium.
Officially an American magical girl, though unaffiliated with the Magic Bureau, she operates independently with the support of her fairy companion.
Primarily a magic-focused fighter, her unique sword allows her to engage effectively at close to mid-range distances.
She is a well-balanced magical girl whose lack of affiliation with the Magic Bureau raises questions.
“A comment from Dendrobium: She wants Inny Flowering’s hooded robe.”
“Still very popular, I see.”
Some insightful individuals have already begun selling replicas of said robe, which reportedly sell decently.
“Now, let’s move on to introducing Inny Flowering…”
“First, allow me to explain the handicap.”
Inny was already present on the field, standing with her hood up as usual.
“Inny, please remove your hood.”
Upon Arongante adjusting his voice so it could be heard within the simulation, he instructed Inny accordingly.
Having only shown her back during the M·D·W battle and with no combat footage available, Inny’s true face was finally about to be revealed to the public.
Nodding, Inny reached up and slowly pulled back her hood.
The entire venue fell silent as everyone stared intently at the hologram or screen to catch a glimpse of her face.
Revealed first was her blue hair, followed by… a black eye patch.
Voices of disappointment and lamentation rang out across the stadium while Marin and the academy group, who were aware of Inny’s handicap, watched calmly, akin to seeing through the secret behind a magic trick.
“…An eye patch? Is that correct?”
“Yes. As part of the first handicap, Inny Flowering will fight with her eyes covered.”
“If that’s the first, what else is there?”
“Yes. As you can see, Inny Flowering has nothing in her hands. The second handicap is fighting without any weapon.”
“…Did Inny Flowering really agree to this?”
“Hmph, as expected, it’s gotten noisy,” muttered a student at the academy where knowledge of Inny was widespread.
Treated almost idol-like, few dared approach her, yet everyone knew of her strength.
Many students at the academy had bet on her victory, believing confidently in her ability to win.
But now, it seemed like she came here to lose, fighting blindfolded and unarmed in the New Demon War.
It was practically a declaration of surrender.
“Hey, Sweep! What does this mean!?”
“Geez, Senior. It’s exactly what it looks like.”
“What it looks like? There’s no way she can win like that!”
A senior magical girl from Sweep’s branch angrily confronted him. This senior had witnessed Inny’s power firsthand when she volunteered alongside Jeanne and thus had wagered all her savings on Inny’s victory.
If Inny lost, she’d be left penniless. A handicap match like this was the last thing she wanted.
“I get your feelings, but Inny will win,” Sweep replied.
“What nonsense…”
Seeing Sweep and other rookie magical girls, the senior fell silent. None doubted that Inny would triumph.
“Will she really win?”
“I understand your concern, but none of our class except Marin could beat her. So, don’t worry.”
The sudden knockout tournament between Inny and the rookie class the night before the New Demon War had been organized by Prizes. Most students eagerly joined in, leading to a similar handicap for Inny—blindfolded and weaponless.
Despite high expectations, every student who faced Inny under these conditions suffered a crushing defeat. Only Marin managed to win, showcasing Inny’s extraordinary abilities.
“Well, if you’re that confident, fine. But if she loses, I won’t forgive you!”
“Got it!”
The senior returned to her seat, sulking.
“Frankly, I didn’t expect so few people to be aware of the handicap details… Well, it should make for an interesting match.”
“Moving on, despite the commotion, let’s introduce Inny Flowering.”
Representing Japan, Inny Flowering.
A mysterious figure who suddenly appeared in Japan, Inny once had her registration erased due to an incident but was quickly reinstated. Before the erasure, she climbed to 18th place in the rankings and swiftly rose to 21st after re-registering.
Rare in today’s world, Inny fights solely with magic and is one of the most talked-about magical girls in Japan. She also possesses healing magic and recently assisted Jeanne with volunteer work.
For this event, she will compete blindfolded and without weapons.
“As always, a message from the participant. However, this time it comes not from the contestant but from her guardian, Thalagong.”
“While I’m curious about what Thalagong has to say, I’d rather hear directly from Inny Flowering.”
“Uh… Thalagong has bet two trillion yen on Inny’s victory and hopes she works hard.”
“That idiot. Let’s pretend we didn’t hear that.”
Rankers receive salaries proportional to their dangerous missions. While impossible to cash out entirely, each holds savings equivalent to a national budget. Upon death, all funds are seized by their affiliated country.
While few rankers bet such astronomical amounts like Thalagong, should Inny win, it would mark the largest financial movement in history.
“Well, amidst unexpected turmoil, this is the final match of the day.”
“A miraculous victory if she wins, and a predictable loss if she doesn’t. The fifth round of the New Demon War… Begin!”
