Mr. Magical Girl

Chapter 15. So, how old are you this year? (2)

A week later.

As in literally, they had a good rest and my students…

I had to meet them again.

In the midst of it all…

To implement justice…

On my break, I might have crushed a few limbs of about three people, but…

It’s not really that important.

“Hello, Master!”

“Thanks in advance, Senior!”

Still polar opposites, I received the greetings from my two students, lifting my chin from the hammer and gazing at them.

How on earth do I teach those kids?

I’ve shared techniques among comrades before, but this is my first time as a teacher. I do have experience raising kids, but that’s another story.

“Are you feeling unwell?”

“I think it’s because of me… I’m too weak.”

Before misunderstanding anything, I should probably proceed. I guess we can start with the basics.

After sorting my thoughts, I lifted my chin from the hammer and raised my voice.

“If you’re my student, don’t walk around with your head down. If my students go about like that, my evaluation will drop, so hold your heads high.”

Actually, I’m not even sure if my reputation exists in this world.

“Yes! Got it!”

Good. Their voices are bright. Looking at them like this, they don’t seem too timid.

“From today onwards, we’re going to work together, and your teacher will be… me.”

Since I’ve met you once already, you should know.

As they moved closer, my two students straightened their waists and looked up at me with shining eyes.

Seriously, having to look up at my students… Is it just me?

I think I’ve accepted the reality of my height, but I calm my mind and continue speaking.

“What I’m going to teach you isn’t just about handling magic or anything like that. It’s purely survival techniques.”

In this current era, where even A-Rank beings from the otherworld are becoming rare, these are almost ridiculous skills that you need.

“Methods to face a stronger adversary and survive, even if it’s humiliating.”

“Aren’t those skills to get stronger?”

Curiosity peaked as Baek Sihyeon interrupted and raised her hand to ask:

If I were an authoritative figure, I could have scolded her, but…

I don’t want to change that girl’s nature. I hope she grows up always bright and lively without getting tainted by darkness.

“Skills and powers will naturally follow if you survive.”

I recall countless heroes.

Even heroes with endless talents lost their future due to a moment of carelessness.

“No matter how much talent and power you have, if you die, that’s the end.”

“Then, doesn’t that mean it’s better to just get stronger? So I won’t lose to anyone!”

“Baek Sihyeon, when you get to fight a 0-Rank, that simple logic doesn’t apply.”

Even if you become strong enough to destroy Earth with a single finger, it’ll be the same thing.

Questions began to fill Baek Sihyeon’s face.

Should I start with the basics?

“What do you know about 0-Rank?”

“They are extremely powerful enemies!”

“The beings from the otherworld are graded from F to A, but… Those are just superficial rankings.”

Baek Sihyeon and Han Ahban both seemed uncertain about their own answers, but okay.

“But all of that is wrong.”

“Aren’t they strong?”

Excuse me? This might be hard for you to understand.

“0-Rank beings exist uniquely, creating their own worlds.”

“Excuse?”

My two students look puzzled.

“Simply being strong doesn’t mean one can be labeled as 0-Rank.

In the past, there was a tendency to categorize them more arbitrarily…”

My explanation only resulted in them nodding their heads in confusion.

It’s a natural reaction.

Unless you experience it firsthand, it’s hard to imagine.

“Let me give you an example.”

Is it better to have a giant robot rising from the ocean?

A phoenix turning the whole world into a blazing inferno?

No:

Big them to these kids, it’s likely to be understood as mere strength.

Then…

“There was a 0-Rank contractor known as a Crazed Magical Girl.”

Gulp.

I could hear the sound of my students swallowing.
Fighting against a 0-Rank is something they didn’t often hear about, plus all the records are mostly censored.

If there’s an interest in this, they shouldn’t miss out.

“She claimed that the entire world should be happy and mixed drugs into the rain, enveloping the world in darkness.”

Three days of happiness…
Instead of sunshine for the world, thick rain poured down from dark clouds.

The specified time of the event:
People, lost in happiness, strangled their neighbors and devoured them

They became buddhas, feeling no stimulus from their endless pleasures, mere plants.

“Currently, she doesn’t exist as a 0-Rank, but dozens of A-Rank and S-Rank heroes charged at her. Countless weapons flew through the sky, each with unique skills, assaulting her.”

The dark sky shone with beams of light…

Countless AA guns were reigning havoc.

Even if they couldn’t land a hit, they still needed to distract the Crazed Magical Girl.

“Carried by dark clouds, she laughed at us and flew through the sky.”

Claiming that everyone should be happy, she smiled brightly.

“Whether they are heroes who can fly or those who can’t,
all heroes would leap at the sky and skin their attacks.”

Those unable to fly can leap over projectiles to attack her. Countless projectiles covered the sky.

They explode upon collision or accidental fire towards the heroes, but…

We conducted maneuvers without caring about that level of explosion.

“No matter how powerful a hero falls and embraces the powers of the otherworld, they are still outnumbered by dozens of strong heroes.
Even crazed, the Magical Girl fell to the ground, her wings broken.”

I took a momentary break, glancing around at my students.

‘So, what happens next?’

I didn’t say it out loud, but the atmosphere was clear.

Not just Baek Sihyeon, but Han Ahban also seemed anxious, clenched fists, waiting for the rest of the story.

“What do you think happens next? With the artillery being bombarded and the top-ranked heroes surrounding the Crazed Magical Girl.”

“Of course, it ends right there, doesn’t it?”
Is there some hidden powerful magic she’s got?”

If that’s the case, I wouldn’t mind that at all.

‘At that moment, humanity betrays her.’

“Huh?”

The students’ voices came together in disbelief.
It’s a hard story to accept. Battles against 0-Ranks always turn out this way, which is why the records of such battles are rarely disclosed.

“As the artillery fell towards the Crazed Magical Girl, it fell towards our side, while soldiers stood in the way between us and the Crazed Magical Girl.”

They had such disbelief reflected on their faces, mouths agape.

“It’s a simple story. The drugs mixed in the rain had mind control effects.”

In three days, that poison was enough to spread across all humanity.

That was how humanity crumbled.

‘Even if it didn’t rain, the rain seeped into the earth, and anyone who came into contact with that rain—
the moment it started to fall, it all ended.’

“Healers tried to counteract or nullify the magic, and mental manipulation users attempted to overwrite their commands, but…
the concentration was already beyond manageable. Even the heroes started falling under her mind control.”

Even the top-ranked heroes, with weakened minds, began being consumed slowly. They kept kneeling to the ground, trying to block their ears, while some even used their weapons to stab themselves.

And yet, the end was nearing.
The laughter of the Crazed Magical Girl spread, and an incomprehensible aberration seeped into their minds:

‘In front of you, there’s an enemy you could kill, but you have something you must protect that stands in the way. What will you do in such a situation?’

Only hearing about the bright side of heroes would be a shocking story for my two students.

I’m glad I decided to share this story with them.

If the 0-Rank contractor was defined by strength,

Then the danger of 0-Rank would start making sense to them.

The powers of the Crazed Magical Girl didn’t lay in the realm of pure strength, and it was enough to help them realize the threat of 0-Rank.

Well, the ordinary marauder depends entirely on brute force, so they wouldn’t understand the difference anyway.

That’s the thing. 0-Ranks differ greatly from beings of the otherworld you can normally imagine:
No one knows what chaos will happen, and no matter how strong a hero, it can’t be expected.

Even the immortal hero, said to repel all attacks, got obliterated with just one dimensional transference into the otherworld.

A contradiction—
the hero who breaks all defenses died by his own spear.

Even the ocean can be betrayed;
there are tales of people who drowned because they were betrayed by the waters.

There are accounts of heroes who claimed to revive all the dead, but ended up unable to heal their own wounds, collapsing in pain.

That’s what battles against 0-Rank look like.

You can’t trust anything, and everything you’ve built up is rendered meaningless.

The battlefield is devoured by the otherworld in an instant,
the laws of physics turn upside down, and what’s common sense becomes a lie:

Eyes see sound.

Objects fall towards the sky.

Attackers get wounded by their own attacks.

Everything has life.

Humans can’t die.

The past becomes the future.

All of this, it’s all just common sense.

‘So what happens after that?’
Surely the Crazed Magical Girl is defeated, the magic and drugs you spread are all purified, right?
‘You, the master, did it while I was absent, didn’t you?’

“Yes. Despite her last struggles, the Crazed Magical Girl fell to the hands of heroes, and humanity survived.”

What happens in such a situation:

“I’ll tell you later…”

The Crazed Magical Girl was defeated,
smashed beneath a colossal golden hammer, along with the people surrounding her.

Both her corrupted heroes and mere soldiers who had fallen under mind control met their end equally. That’s the story.

*

The story of the Crazed Magical Girl was a sufficient stimulus for my students.

Without telling them to think it over, my students seemed deep in contemplation, frowning.

If they found themselves in a similar situation,
what would they choose to leave behind? Who would they save?

Is there a technique they could employ in such a situation?

This is a good direction. It’s just as important to think of such scenarios regularly, beyond mere strength and skill;
If A-Ranks themselves don’t go as expected, delay in responding to unexpected situations can be fatal.

However, if you maintain the mindset of “what if” regularly,
you’ll solidify your value judgement,
and the time spent deliberating will shorten as your body moves instinctively.

Of course, that’s only possible if you have the capability.

“Baek Sihyeon. Think about it for a moment. There’s no rush, Han Ahban goes first.”

“Yes.”

Even that lively girl seems to grasp just how brutal battles against 0-Ranks can be, reflecting a serious expression.

Keep thinking and preparing. Sihyeon:
Fighting against 0-Ranks is even more chaotic than you’ve imagined.

‘Han Ahban, what do you think your issue is?’

“My basic abilities are too lacking.”

Unfazed even by the sudden question, Han Ahban responded.

Does she understand how treacherous the path she aims for is?

Or is she the slow starter type, finding calmness in my words?

Well, I suppose I’ll find out gradually.

Yeah, your basic abilities are pretty much lacking.

Your basic physical enhancements aren’t up to par, and even the mana you can release is way too weak.”

At the same time, I placed the hammer on her shoulder.

“Senpai?”

“Let’s fix that first.”

Thud!

Crack!

I pulled the hammer, bringing her down, and placed my palm on her back.

“Alright: A villain knocked you out and immobilized you. Now, try to escape.”

“What do you mean?”

She didn’t quite grasp the situation, as I pressured her back.

‘The pressure on your back is getting stronger, so escape before you die.’

“Eh?”

It’s hard to understand with words,
but I didn’t want to waste time trying to explain it, so I continued my actions:

My powerful palm pierced into her back,
and with that, the mat underneath her sank in more and more.

Thud.
Thudthud.

I could hear her skeletal structure twisting. If she doesn’t scream, it may be a commendation, but as things stand…

“At this rate, your spine will break. Hurry up.”

Whether my words were serious or not, I could see fear creeping into her eyes,
as her whole body began flowing with mana, enhancing her.

Han Ahban struggled with her slightly strengthened body attempting to break free.

Clumsily:

I clicked my tongue, adding a little more strength, and she was slammed back onto the mat.

Ugh!

Her mana should be flowing through her whole body…

But even still, the treasure I seek isn’t appearing.

Dirt. It should have appeared over here.

Is her mana not enough? Or does she still not grasp her dire situation?

My palm was nearly on the verge of shattering her spine.

“I found it!”

Thwack!

“AAAHHH!”

With a sound of a break, a loud scream erupted from her mouth:

“Well done, Han Ahban.”

“Alright, that’s enough.”

“Wait, Master! Is Ahban okay?”

Startled by her scream, Baek Sihyeon rushed over.

She seemed inclined to help the hurt Han Ahban, but…

“Don’t touch her.”

I brushed Baek Sihyeon’s hand away, preventing her from touching Han Ahban.

“She’s fine. Really?”

Baek Sihyeon looked suspiciously at my words, glancing back at the collapsed Han Ahban.

With froth in her mouth and her eyes rolled back, Han Ahban looked nothing like she was alright.

Surely a person fainting with foam in their mouth couldn’t be considered ‘okay’.

“She’ll be fine.”

“Huh?”

“What would I gain by breaking my student’s lower back? It’s completely different.”

“The broken part seems nonexistent to me.”

“The magical insight.”

Sihyeon’s expression shifted to one of “what nonsense is this?”

To have my students doubt me after merely a day hurts me as a teacher.

“All magical girls have one magical insight.”

“I don’t have one!”

“You do: around your waist.”

What kind of weird talk is this?
Sihyeon started probing her own waist, trying to find it.

“I only see my lower back.”

“It’s a conceptual thing: obviously, you can’t feel it ordinarily.”

Ah, should be a lesson for Han Ahban to hear, but she’s fainted…

In the end, it seems like Sihyeon will have to explain to Han Ahban later.

“Yes!”

“The magical insight is essential for a magical girl to use their magic, but currently, it’s unnecessary as it’s broken.”

“Huh?”

Her answers have been decent, but clearly, she doesn’t understand what’s being said.

“Eventually, it won’t help you. It’s better to break the useless magical insight that hasn’t grown in four years and replace it with a new one.”

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