Mahou Shoujo Ikusei Keikaku - Volume 2 - Chapter 5

CHAPTER 5

THE BIG DRAGON AND THE CHINESE GIRL

  Pechka

Cherna Mouse fell. What happened after that, Pechka watched with total detachment.

Someone checked Cherna Mouse’s magical phone, yelling out that it was one candy short. Another blamed Pfle for this, since she’d been the one checking all the phones, yet another took her side, defending her, and then they were all squabbling. Everyone seemed uneasy. They had gone with a method Fal had assured them would work out, and for some reason, it had failed. They discussed and shouted and foisted the blame on one another, contending, debating what happened with this, what was going on with that, and still they reached no conclusion. When they tried to ask Fal, he seemed confused as to what had happened. They were getting nowhere.

Detec Bell’s party left the square to go bury Cherna Mouse, and the other groups split off. Vague anxieties remained in Pechka’s heart. She was hit with the realization that sometimes, people would die, and they wouldn’t understand why.

Just being dragged into this game and forced to play at the risk of her own life was enough to make her head spin, but the ambiguous rules ensured they had no idea how they might die, or for what reasons.

It had been about two hours since Cherna Mouse’s death. Rionetta and Nonako Miyokata continued to bicker right up until their return to the real world. Clantail was clopping her hooves in irritation, while Pechka gazed up at the sky. It was pitch-black: no stars, moons, or clouds.

When Rionetta and Nonako noticed that Pechka was looking up at the empty sky, they stopped bickering and lifted their eyes, too. Clantail stopped tapping her hooves and followed suit.

Rionetta muttered, “Hunting will be easier now.”

Cherna Mouse had been the gatekeeper helping her party squat on the good hunting spots. With her gone, no one would complain if Pechka’s party wanted to go to those places. In fact, their party was now the only one to still have all four members. So then doesn’t that mean we’re the strongest in a fight right now? Pechka wondered, and then she was sorry for even having thought of that. When she looked at the others—not counting Rionetta, who’d been the one to say it out loud—Nonako was nodding, and it seemed she and Clantail were thinking the same thing. That just distressed Pechka even more.

The first thing that Chika did when she was back in reality was turn her attention to the sky. Clouds obscured two-thirds of the waxing crescent moon, and dark gray masses blocked the stars, too. Even so, it looked like a proper night sky. She was grateful to have come back to see it.

When Chika got up the next morning, she washed her face, put some incense on the family altar before breakfast, and pressed her hands together. This had never been a custom of hers, and she wasn’t terribly devout, but she had nothing else to cling to. Her little brother laughed at her, her parents seemed concerned, and her grandfather praised her for it with a comment that he was impressed. But Chika wasn’t really paying attention to her family’s reactions. She focused earnestly on her prayer. She was aware that it looked silly, but still, she would cling to anything that might give her hope.

She zoned out a lot at school, and she had nearly run into a telephone pole en route. In class, the teacher pointed out her inattention, earning sniggers from the class. Chika, who had always tried to avoid standing out, was now the butt of ridicule. In the past, that might have made her mope for a week, but now it didn’t really bother her.

If she let her mind wander, her thoughts would always return to the game. Her motivations were not completion oriented, like How can we unlock the next area? or The monsters in that spot are great for grinding. Half of them were wishes for everything to be okay, and the other half were sick imaginings of her premature death.

During her book club time, she left her seat for half an hour. When her friends showed concern, she put up a tough front, smiling and telling them she was fine. Then she rushed back home, transformed into Pechka, dug up some dirt from the garden, and threw it into a pot to make a boxed lunch: rolled omelets, bacon-wrapped asparagus, wieners cut to look like octopuses, rice with seaweed sprinkles, fried chicken, mini tomatoes, and a cooked spinach ohitashi salad. She packed some fruit in a separate plastic container.

Examining the contents of this lunch box, she thought it looked a little childish. She’d made it according to her own preferences, thinking it might be fun to eat such a lunch, and this was the result. Maybe I should do some research on a cooking website, she thought.

She then got changed and headed to the baseball grounds. On the way, she helped an old man who was loading his mini-truck with daikon radishes. He thanked her, and she replied with a smile, while internally, she was scoffing at herself for assisting people at a time like this. This was just another method of escaping reality.

Ninomiya literally came running to her. The baseball grounds had the facilities for night games, so to keep the darkness at bay, they put on glittering lights as they practiced. In the summertime, bugs gathered around the bright bulbs, including rhinoceros beetles and stag beetles, and that attracted kids and hobbyists with no interest in baseball.

Ninomiya wolfed down the lunch as fast as he could so that he would be on time for his evening practice, and when he was done, he faced Pechka with his hands together and bowed in appreciation. “Thank you so much for the food.” She was happy to receive his gratitude, but it was a little embarrassing.

While Ninomiya ate, Pechka just sat together with him on the bench, placing about two empty seats’ worth of space between them, and watched. If their eyes happened to meet by accident, he might realize that she had been staring at him the whole time, so she occasionally looked away, observing him in glances as he enjoyed the meal.

He had scrapes from shaving—and occasional bits of facial hair he’d missed. They were in the same class, and Chika thought of herself as still a child, but Ninomiya was already doing the same things as an adult man. His cheeks and jaw moved in time with the rising and falling of his sturdy chest. Acne faintly marked his cheeks—that part of him was still boyish. He’d run all this way after practice, so he was sweating. This close to him, the scent of his sweat reached her nose, making her blush even deeper. He was scarfing the food down but holding his chopsticks in the proper manner. He seemed like the son of a good family, and she liked that.

There was some rice stuck to his cheek. Should I point it out? she wondered. Would it be okay for me to pluck it off him? It would definitely be a bad idea to take it and put it in my own mouth. So if I wrap it in a tissue and throw it away, that wouldn’t come off as gross, would it? But while she was busy worrying about it, Ninomiya wiped the offending grain off his cheek with a finger and popped it in his mouth.

This was all she did on the first day—observed his face and eating habits. She didn’t talk much. Just thinking about saying something to him made her nervous, and she didn’t want to bother him. He was focused on stuffing his cheeks and enjoying the food.

But on the second day, Ninomiya started talking to her. Chika was already aware that he was more of a chatterbox than might be expected. He talked enthusiastically about all sorts of things: how he’d been batting well lately; how the coach would sometimes bring his dog, which was big and scary-looking; how when he’d tried practicing a knuckle ball, the coach had gotten angry at him and told him to stop fooling around; and how the bicycle he rode to school was broken, so now he was running to school. Lots of things. Pechka was happy to watch Ninomiya enjoying himself.

But then he asked, “What about you?” And Pechka didn’t know how to answer.

She realized that Pechka couldn’t talk about herself. She couldn’t say, “I’m a magical girl,” and neither could she say, “I’m being forced to play this really horrible game.” But on the other hand, she couldn’t introduce herself as Chika, either. She could say they went to the same school, but that was Chika, not Pechka. Even if she didn’t mean it as a lie, it would end up being one. If he were to search for Pechka and her perfect lunches at school, she wouldn’t be there.

She replied that she always cooked for her friends, and when they ate it, they’d say it was really good. Ninomiya laughed. “Well, of course! Anyone who didn’t think so couldn’t be human!” Pechka smiled, but inside, she felt despondent.

Then the third day arrived. That evening, she would be summoned into the game again, where she would have to survive for three more days. She hated this. She wanted to cry. She wanted to give up. At the very least, she wanted to confess everything about her situation to him right there and then. Even if he couldn’t help, he could offer sympathy, at least. But despite her desires, there was no way she could tell him anything. If she did, she would die on the spot.

So she talked about herself. Not Chika Tatehara, and not the magical girl Pechka, but a fictitious girl who attended a high school in the neighborhood, liked cooking, and enjoyed baseball. Her mother had taught her to cook. Her mother was far better at it. Recently, a cat had pooped in their yard, and her grampa had gotten angry about it. She even concocted a story about her friend slipping on a banana peel, like something out of a manga. She had gone to karaoke and input the wrong song numbers into the machine, but by coincidence, they had known all the songs, so they’d sung them to the end. Ninomiya laughed at her made-up stories of failure, and Pechka dammed up her sadness and pain with a smile.

He finished the lunch, thanked her with his hands together like he always did, and returned the box. When he handed it back to her, their pinkie fingers brushed. Ninomiya wasn’t bothered by it at all. He just ran off. “See you later!”

Pechka studied the tip of her pinkie, touched the finger to her other hand, and squeezed it.

  Shadow Gale

Kanoe was getting lost in her thoughts more often. Or, more accurately, she was just zoning out and not even trying to hide her contemplation. That was something she’d never done before, and her parents and older brother were concerned. But when they asked if something was on her mind, she would grin back at them, saying it was nothing to worry about—and that was what really made them worry. They asked Mamori about her, too, but she couldn’t give them an answer. If it were possible, she would have loved to tell them, “The young mistress is a magical girl, and right now, she’s been forced into playing a game where failure equals death.”

Kanoe was still mulling over something. That was fine. There were plenty of things Mamori would have liked to think about, too. But she chose certain places for her pondering. If she wanted to think, she would go to her own room. She wouldn’t occupy someone else’s room like she owned the place the way Kanoe would. She wouldn’t put wine and crackers on a tray, barge in, and have her snack on someone else’s study desk. She also wouldn’t drop the crackers on the desk and scatter crumbs.

Mamori stood up, raised the blinds, and opened the window. The autumn wind at night was more than cool; it was rather chilly. The stale air swept outside, while the fresh breeze wafted in. There was a swath of green grass outside the window, and the dusk had dyed it dark-purplish. A tall hedge surrounded the yard, and the chirping of the insects sounded pleasant to the ears. Mamori had heard that they’d bought some pine crickets just to release them here. They were apparently a few thousand yen per cricket, but she wanted to believe that the story had been exaggerated in the telling.

She left the window, returned to the bed, and sat down. Glancing over, she saw that Kanoe was still on the swivel chair, lost in thought. Mamori wished she would at least think in her own room. The whole Totoyama family lived on Hitokouji lands, and Mamori’s room was in the Hitokoujis’ mansion, so it made it hard to complain when Kanoe marched in whenever she wanted.

But that chair was different. It was European-made, bought for thirty-five thousand yen from an order catalog. She intended to keep on using it for the next twenty or thirty years. It was wonderful and comfortable to sit in, and Mamori had bought it with money she’d saved over some time. It was clearly her own personal property. Even if it was inside the Hitokouji estate, Kanoe should have no right to use it.

“Would you please at least give me back my chair?” Mamori said.

“You have something on your mind, too, don’t you?” Kanoe returned her question with another question. But she was right that Mamori was thinking about something, too. She’d been ruminating a lot, and she’d never been able to come up with any answers, either. How and what would you do to take one candy away from Cherna Mouse? Mamori had no idea. She didn’t even know what the point of doing it was in the first place.

During the event at the end of the last logout day, Cherna Mouse had died. Detec Bell and Melville had immediately tried to revive her, but mouth-to-mouth and chest compressions hadn’t done anything, and even the recovery medicine hadn’t worked. They couldn’t revive her. The cause of death was a heart attack.

As Fal had explained it, the one who held the smallest amount of magical candy would lose. The loss conditions were in the terms “smallest” and “one,” both of which had to be fulfilled. Otherwise no one would lose. Pfle had guessed that if there was more than one person with the lowest figure, then nothing would happen, and Fal had said that was correct. If there were two or more magical girls holding the lowest number, then they could get through the event without anyone losing.

Everyone had cooperated in the reallocation of candy, and Pfle had double-checked. So they had managed to get through the event—or so they had thought for the instant before Cherna Mouse fell and Fal called her name out. When they had picked up her magical phone to check it, the number displayed there was one fewer than that of the other girls.

Some began to accuse Pfle of failing to check the candy numbers properly, but many others denied that.

In her duel with Cherna Mouse, Pfle had lost her wheelchair, so she got around by riding Shadow Gale piggyback. Shadow Gale had actually been the one walking around so Pfle could check the candy numbers of the magical girls sitting around the fountain. And that wasn’t all she was doing. She’d been looking at their magical phones. She was certain their numbers had all been the same. There was no way she could have failed to notice that one was wrong.

The other magical girls also gave testimony to Pfle’s innocence. They’d all followed the order to keep an eye on their neighbors, either because they couldn’t trust one another or because they wanted to. To Cherna Mouse’s right had been Detec Bell, and to her left, Melville. Shadow Gale had confirmed that the candy numbers on both their screens had matched the number on Cherna Mouse’s phone.

So then why had Cherna Mouse died? Why had she ended up with one fewer than the others?

Mamori came to no answers.

You could use a magical phone to transfer candy. But if anyone had done that after everyone’s candy was arranged, the phones’ beeps would have exposed them. It would have been possible before all the candy was sorted out. While they’d been arranging the candy, the square had been filled with the beep, beep, beep, beep of enchanted electronics. But it would have been pointless to meddle with the candy numbers at that point. Pfle and Shadow Gale had checked them all afterward, and Cherna’s neighbors on either side had done the same. If the numbers had been off, it would have been caught.

Had someone manipulated the phones with magic? That couldn’t be done, either. You could physically smash the devices, but even after disassembly, it was impossible to rig anything there or set anything inside. If you tried to control a phone from the outside using magic, it would just break. Shadow Gale had already verified this personally.

“Cherna Mouse’s candy…” Mamori’s thoughts spilled from her mouth.

Kanoe pulled a math notebook out of a drawer in the study desk, flicked off the pen cap with her thumb, and smoothly wrote out the names of all the magical girls, the parties they were affiliated with, and the magic powers they had.

“That’s my notebook…my pen…,” Mamori protested.

“Yeah. I’m using them.”

• Party A

Pfle: high-powered wheelchair

Shadow Gale: mechanical modification

• Party B

Clantail: transforming the lower half of her body into an animal

Rionetta: controlling dolls

Nonako Miyokata: making allies of animals

Pechka: creating delicious food

• Party C (Cherna Mouse’s party)

Detec Bell: conversing with buildings—can’t use it in the game (sat right of Cherna Mouse)

Melville: camouflage (sat left of Cherna mouse)

Lapis Lazuline: teleporting to location of her gem

Cherna Mouse: making herself big (victim)

• Party D

Nokko: transmitting her emotions

@Meow-Meow: capturing items within her talismans

Genopsyko Yumenoshima: invincible suit (only her phone participated)

The postmortem breakdown was detailed with more information than Mamori had anticipated. “How is this so thorough? You’ve got the magic of people you’ve never even talked to listed here.”

“Because unlike you with your hunting task, as the one in charge of exploration, I’ve come to know more people. After that great scuffle in the square, I immediately went asking around. Though in the end the killer was presumed to be that samurai girl, we were still victims. Our ally had been killed and her items stolen. I’m sure none of them wanted to draw suspicion by trying to hide their abilities and failing.”

“And can we believe this information?” asked Mamori.

“When I asked each of these people, they were within earshot of their fellow party members. If they had lied, their allies would have reacted somehow. Even if they didn’t directly accuse that person and ask why they were lying, they’d have had some kind of tell. But if someone is lying about her magic even to her own party…then that’s something else.” If someone were lying to even her own party about her magic, that one would be the culprit.

“Have you figured out who did it? Like does one of the girls have powers that could have manipulated Cherna Mouse’s amount of candy?”

“I don’t care about that.”

“You don’t? But—”

“I thought I told you: I don’t need proof. All I need to know about is character. This memo is ultimately just an expression of goodwill toward you. I’m not going to try to deduct the culprit’s identity based on opportunity or motive. But you’re different, aren’t you? So I’m sure you’ll find this useful.”

Kanoe shoved the notebook at Mamori, scooped up the stuffed bear that sat on the side of the bed, and plopped down on the chair again. So apparently, all that thinking hadn’t been about how the culprit had removed a candy from Cherna Mouse’s inventory. Mamori was privately disappointed, but she kept her expression stiff to hide her feelings from Kanoe. She plopped onto the bed and then lay down.

Using that knowledge of all of the girls’ abilities, and also taking into consideration the in-game items, Mamori tried to come up with a way someone could have removed that candy from Cherna Mouse’s magical phone. But she couldn’t. In fact, it was impossible. Simply destroying the phone was one thing, but bending its functionality to your whims was impossible. Messing up the display or silencing the beeping just couldn’t be done.

If Mamori were forced to come up with the most likely suspect, it would be herself. Her magical ability to modify machines was broad in scope, and even if she couldn’t tamper with the displays or the noises they made, she could have come up with some incredible way to remove that one candy. However, Mamori knew that Shadow Gale was not the culprit. She hadn’t done it.

But—there was a but. Though Mamori knew she was innocent, the others wouldn’t know that for certain. She had plenty of motive to do it, too, after Cherna Mouse had beaten them in a duel the other day. If they began to suspect her, things could get bad.

“I didn’t do it,” Mamori said out loud.

“I know that.”

Well, Kanoe would say that. Though to anyone else, it might appear as if she were trying to cover for her own, Kanoe would at least advocate on her behalf—whether or not that would work.

“It’s all right,” said Kanoe. “They’re not going to suspect you—”

“Uh, I think most people would find me the most suspicious of all.”

“—since I told them your magic is creating tanks.” Mamori stared at Kanoe, shocked, and Kanoe returned her gaze with a calm expression. “Well, it’s less suspicious, isn’t it?”

“But even before that…” Mamori pushed her upper body off the bed. “We still haven’t found who killed Masked Wonder and stole her items.”

“Indeed.”

Masked Wonder had been killed and her items robbed. The Miracle Coin, one of the items she’d been holding on to, hadn’t been in any of their phones, but someone still had it. The item was at 1 (1), so it had to be in someone’s device.

Mamori felt like these two incidents were similar. With both the Miracle Coin and Cherna Mouse, the impossible had happened, and the magical phones were connected to the mystery. “…The same culprit?” Mamori suggested.

“That’s possible.”

What about motive? The reason behind Masked Wonder’s murder was probably the theft of the Miracle Coin. But while it was a rare item, would you kill someone for something only ambiguously useful? It was true that the deadly stakes hadn’t yet been revealed, but this game was full of just and true magical girls.

And Cherna Mouse… Had it just been because she’d been an obstacle? Cherna Mouse’s role had been to chase away any parties that would try to set foot in their hunting spots. So it made sense that she’d be an obstacle to playing the game.

The motives for the both of these were related to the game. Setting aside Masked Wonder’s death, by the time Cherna Mouse had been killed, the goal of everyone had already changed from finishing the game to escaping, which would be facilitated by playing. Cherna Mouse’s party had been selfish and inconsiderate, but not enough to kill her for it. None of them knew what kinds of quests might come next, and without Cherna Mouse, they might run into a monster they couldn’t beat. If the Evil King turned out to be three hundred feet tall and weighed 150,000 tons, then their survival would have depended on Cherna winning.

But someone had wanted Cherna Mouse gone nonetheless…or had they? What if Cherna Mouse hadn’t been the target, and she’d just happened to be the one to die? Or…

“…Something just occurred to me that I really don’t want to consider, but…may I?”

“Go ahead.”

“This is all the master’s work.”

“And why do you think that?”

“I think that maybe both the theft of the Miracle Coin and the interference in that event were attempts to prevent us completing the game. The master has teased us with the hope that we can escape if we win, but they’re secretly meddling in things to prevent us from succeeding. Can’t you just imagine them laughing as they watch us tremble in our boots? Since the master has pulled us into the game world, that means their magic clearly has to do with machines or computers or something like that, right? I’m sure they can do anything they want within that realm. So wouldn’t they be able to manipulate the magical phones and all that?” If that were true, then things were bleak. The master was both the sponsor and the manager of that world, so if they were serious about obstructing the players, the magical girls wouldn’t stand a chance. If the master wanted to torture them to death, it would be done, and if the master wanted to kill them all on the spot, it would happen.

“You don’t have to consider the idea that the master is the culprit.”

“Why not?”

“Because if that’s what the master wants,” Kanoe explained, “then we’ll be helpless to resist. We’ll all die. There’s no avoiding that.”

“So are you saying that we shouldn’t resist?”

“No.”

It was a bleak idea. What’s more, nothing else seemed likely to Mamori.

But even after all of that, Kanoe’s full lips were curved in a faint smile. “If that’s what the master wants to do, then there’s nothing we can do about it. They’re capable of locking sixteen magical girls inside a game world and maintaining total control over our lives and deaths. Their magic is powerful, so there’s no point in thinking about how to kill them or make them surrender.”

“You’re saying to give up?”

“Let me finish.” Placing the stuffed bear on her lap, Kanoe spun the swivel chair around to face Mamori. “Even if we were to pursue the possibility that the master has come to torment and kill us, we wouldn’t be able to resolve the issue, so we won’t consider that avenue. I presume completing the game will solve that. I’ll expend efforts on the possibility that one of the magical girls participating in this game is malicious and has used some means to steal the coin from Masked Wonder and manipulate Cherna Mouse’s candy.”

“So that’s that, then?” At first glance, it seemed like a proactive approach, choosing to ignore the most probable avenue because it was impossible to resolve even if you racked your brain and pursuing only the less likely option instead. But it was still just avoiding reality.

“If the master is the culprit,” Kanoe continued, “then there’s nothing we can do, so we should give up. There’s no way we can fight the master from within the game as players, anyway. Even if we were to challenge them, it would be best put off until afterward. Besides, the theory that the culprit is someone other than the master isn’t all that preposterous. One could take that view as well. The master has made a challenging and malicious game, but they’ve also prepared some escape keys that the more canny individuals can deduce. Such was the case with having multiple people hold the lowest value of candy, and also with how the monster encyclopedia was sold in the town near the monsters that reflect projectile weapons. The master is the type who offers a way out and then laughs at those who fail to notice this and die. Stealing items via physical force and manipulating the candy numbers from the outside are inconsistent with the master’s character. Naturally, one would assume that someone other than the master is acting here. Well, I would.”

The stuffed bear bulged. Kanoe’s arms were wrapped around its neck, squeezing. Her smile was fixed as ever, but she was clenching the bear so hard, its figure distorted. “The culprit will pay.” Mamori realized that Kanoe was angry.

Kanoe never forgave people who caused harm to her own—and “her own” did not mean her immediate family or blood relations. It referred to the people close to her generally.

When the two of them had just started high school, some people had called Mamori a parasite on Kanoe’s butt. When the rumor reached even her, the target, she figured it had really been going around. Those who had gone to their middle school would never have dared to gossip like that, but a lot of people at their high school had come in from other schools.

Those girls who had gotten their kicks badmouthing Mamori were away from school for a week after that. By the time they came back, they’d transformed into good girls who would never belittle anyone. That was probably related to why they blanched and trembled whenever Kanoe got near them.

Masked Wonder had been an ally.

Mamori laced her fingers, placed her hands in her lap, and looked down.

Masked Wonder had been a real heroine of justice. When she saw someone who was hurt, she rushed to their aid with zero suspicion. When she believed she was in the right, she even stood up to an opponent over thirty yards tall without hesitation. Shadow Gale had been skeptical of her, finding it fishy that someone would introduce themselves as “justice,” but Masked Wonder had expended every effort to do the right thing at all times. She had lacked any cynicism or sarcasm and always dealt with things sincerely.

Masked Wonder’s head had been crushed by a rock, and then she had died. It was horrible that she’d met her end that way.

Biting her lip, Mamori lifted her head and looked over at Kanoe. That smile was still on her face. The stuffed bear wasn’t bulging anymore. “I will observe character,” said Kanoe, “and you think up method. This is how we’ll find the culprit.”

Still biting her lip, Mamori nodded.

  Detec Bell

They buried Cherna Mouse’s body at the edge of town. They placed the sunflower seeds she’d loved in her grave, saving one extra for once they’d filled the hole. That seed sat on top of the mound of earth as a grave marker. Her giant sunflower seeds were, of course, not something that really existed. Cherna Mouse had said they were a part of her costume. They had also been edible, and whenever she’d had a free moment, she had nibbled on them. She was the only one of them who hadn’t bought rations at the shop. Lapis Lazuline had envied her for that.

Now she was sniffling.

Detec Bell glanced over to Melville, thinking of calling out to her to discuss what would happen next. Melville’s eyes were on her. The words Detec Bell had been about to say died halfway from her throat.

Melville said quietly, “Ah’m taekin’ me leave o’ this pairty.”

“…What?” said Detec Bell.

Melville was even more detached than usual. “There be a vill’n among’s, an’ Ah cannae fathom who. Cherna’s slain, an’ Ah’ve no trust fer ennyone. Ah’m loathe t’leave ye, but Ah must.”

“‘One of us is a bad guy, and I don’t know who it is. They killed Cherna. I can’t trust nobody no more, so there’s no point in having a party. I feel bad, but I’m leaving,’ is what Melvy is sayin’… Wait, Melvy!” Lazuline wiped her tears and snot with a sleeve and put her hand on Melville’s shoulder. “You’re leavin’ the party?! How can ya say that?! This is the part where everyone bands together! It’d be so sad if ya left the party now!”

“Y’wish to go wi’ me? If ye follow, Ah shan’t tell ye nay.”

“I’m not goin’! But I’m totally against ya leavin’, Melvy!”

Melville swiped aside Lazuline’s hand. Lazuline tried to leap on her anyway, but Melville hopped lightly over the sunflower seed grave marker, putting it between them. Lazuline, unwilling to trample the grave marker, stumbled forward.

Detec Bell tried to find the right words. She couldn’t let Melville withdraw from the party. If there were just something I could say to make her rethink this. If she could just stay with us, she thought, but she couldn’t come up with anything. “Does this mean you don’t trust me?” The words that came out of her mouth were horribly cold and dry. Detec Bell licked her lips. They felt parched and rough. No moisture at all. “You won’t stop Lazuline from following, but you’re leaving the party. That means you can’t trust me, doesn’t it?”

“Listen…” Melville’s body faded. Her face, clothes, longbow, harpoons, everything turned the color of the wasteland dirt, blending into it. “ ’Ere’s no need fer such grievance. Dinnae trouble yerself wi’ the question o’ trust. Y’only must keep gaun yer own way. Ah’ll be taekin’ retribution fer Cherna an’ then taekin’ me leave.”

“‘You don’t have to take it so badly,’” Lazuline translated. “‘I’m going to go search for the one who killed Cherny and get revenge. You guys just aim to complete the game on your own,’ she says.”

“But it had to be the master who killed Cherna, right?” said Detec Bell. Clearly, no one else could have done it. Not only had Cherna Mouse’s magical phone displayed the same number as everyone else’s before the time limit was up, it had even displayed the same number after the time ran out. Detec Bell had been right beside her, watching, so she knew that for a fact. Cherna had fallen and dropped her magical phone, and once the phone had hit the ground, for some reason, it had one fewer candy. That sort of feat was impossible using either magic or items. And that impossible thing had, in fact, happened. There was only one person who could have pulled that off: the master.

“That event was designed to produce a loser, but Pfle found a way out and went for it,” said Detec Bell. “That made the master angry, so they twisted the rules of the game. They made one of us lose, just according to their original plan, and then took away a magical candy from her so that we couldn’t complain.”

“Nay. Recall ye Fal’s reaction. He ’os well aware.”

“‘That’s not right. Please, think back on how Fal reacted. He knew about it,’” Lazuline interpreted.

“ ’Twas no fault o’ th’ rules but a boon to th’ plaeyers.”

“‘That wasn’t a hole in the rules. I think that was a way out for the players.’”

“Methinks ’twas pairt o’ th’ master’s designs. No cause fer anger.”

“‘The master originally planned that in. It was the right answer. There’s no reason to be angry.’”

“Ah had a fearf’l notion that sommon ’os laughin’.”

“‘I had this horrible feeling then. Someone was laughing at us.’”

“When Cherna fell. Sommon ’os laughin’.”

“‘When Cherna fell, someone was laughing.’”

“An’ Genopsyko says ’ere be a traetor.”

“‘And there’s also that message Genopsyko left us. She told us there’s a traitor.’”

“Tha’s the lass wha’ did the deed…an’ I havte faend ’em.”

“‘That person is the culprit. I’m going to find them.’”

Even as Melville spoke and Lazuline translated, Melville was fading into the background. Eventually, her form and her voice disappeared entirely. Lazuline was waiting to translate the next part, but Melville didn’t say anything more.

“Ah…Melvy’s gone!” Lazuline ran around the grave marker, flailing her arms, but all she swiped through was air. She never touched anything. Melville had made herself invisible and left.

Detec Bell turned on her magical phone and opened up the party composition screen. The party members’ names were all registered there: Detec Bell, Lapis Lazuline, and Cherna Mouse. Melville’s name was already gone. Fal had said parties were easy to join and easy to leave. It really was that easy.

“Lazuline.”

“What? Is there some way we can call her back?”

“Let me see your phone for a second.”

“Okay. What for, though?” Lapis Lazuline asked as she handed Detec Bell her magical phone.

It looked just the same as any other. Detec Bell tapped the heart-shaped screen to operate it, moving to the wallpaper screen and the address book. “Whoops, wrong screen.” She went back a screen and brought up the party formation. It was just the same here as in Detec Bell’s magical phone. Three names were all listed there, but not Melville’s. Clicking on Cherna Mouse’s name, she selected REMOVE, and then only two names remained. Apparently, the survivors had to remove the dead from their party.

Detec Bell handed the phone back to Lazuline and then tugged down her deerstalker cap. She was liable to start crying, and she didn’t want Lazuline to see.

“Melvy…she said she was goin’ to search for the culprit. I wonder if there really is one.”

Was Lazuline talking to her, or just muttering to herself? When Detec Bell didn’t reply, she didn’t react, so it was probably the latter.

The detective clenched her teeth, the corners of her mouth turning downward. Her feelings of frustration, oppression, and helplessness were growing. She had believed that as long as they had Cherna Mouse, they’d be all right, no matter what happened. Cherna Mouse had been so prideful, too, saying that with her there, they could protect everyone. Though she’d abused her strength to drive off the others, she’d still been a reliable ally. And dependable Cherna had been killed in such an unwarranted manner, through means that had nothing at all to do with her strength.

Detec Bell was the party leader, but Cherna Mouse had been the real cornerstone of their party—and the one who’d been giving her orders had been Melville. Without their cornerstone, Melville had gone, and Detec Bell was left behind.

It might also have seemed like Lazuline had been abandoned, too—but it wasn’t the same with her. Right as Melville had left, she’d invited Lazuline. When she’d said that she wouldn’t stop Lazuline if she would accompany her, that had meant she was okay being in a party with Lazuline. In other words, that meant the reason Melville had left was Detec Bell.

Did Melville not trust her? Or did she consider her unnecessary? Whichever it was, thinking about it made her want to cry. Detec Bell had been their leader in name, but she hadn’t particularly achieved anything. They hadn’t managed to unlock even a single area. The other parties had done all of that.

Her magic was useless inside the game. But she still had experience working as a detective. She had the knowledge she’d gained from reading mystery novels. She’d believed that even if she couldn’t use her magic here, she could still be useful. However, once they’d started the game, she’d been unable to unlock a single area, and she lacked any authority as their leader. Cherna Mouse and Melville had just ignored her instructions instead.

“If there is someone out there who killed Cherny,” said Lazuline, “I ain’t lettin’ them get away with this! It’s super-dangerous to have someone like that runnin’ free without ever gettin’ punished, right?”

Detec Bell observed her. Lapis Lazuline had gone from raging to frightened to restless. Melville had invited her to come along. Right before leaving their party, she’d invited Lazuline. Detec Bell glared at Lazuline from underneath her deerstalker cap.

The girl in blue smacked her right hand to her chest and assured her, “But don’t you fret. As long as I, Lapis Lazuline, am here, you’ll be safe, Bell.”

Not long after that, they got their break from the game, and Detec Bell returned to reality and her life as Shinobu Hioka. No longer her magical-girl self, she was human again, but she was still smoldering on the inside.

She punched the wall of the apartment building and immediately called the office and requested ten days off. She dreaded that her boss would either tell her she didn’t have to come back and fire her, or just berate her in his thick voice, asking her what the hell she was thinking. So she gave her request and immediately turned off her phone.

Shinobu pulled out her magical device and searched the Internet. She’d memorized the area code listed in Lazuline’s phone’s address book. She looked it up and immediately identified the name of the town in question. Writing it down on a memo pad, she then searched for the train schedule.

Detec Bell couldn’t use her power inside the game—but she could use it in real life. First, Lapis Lazuline. Detec Bell would search for the region she worked in as a magical girl in real life and find out her real identity using the same methods she’d used investigating Magical Daisy.

She would work in reality and gather information in reality. If, as Melville said, one of the magical girls was in communication with the enemy, then Detec Bell would find out who. If she discovered someone to be a totally innocent magical girl with no secrets at all, that was also useful information. She just had to add to the list of people she could trust, one by one.

Yes, Lapis Lazuline came first. One of their party had been killed, and another of them had left, and yet she still acted so happy-go-lucky. Was that just the kind of person she was, or did she keep a secret that allowed her to feel that way? Detec Bell would find out.

  Pechka

When they went back into the game, they began in the wasteland area. No matter where they were upon logout, they’d return in the wasteland area. Simply put, it seemed they would be forced back to their starting points every single time. When Pechka checked the locations of her fellow party members on the map, she got the feeling they were in the same positions they had been the last time they came.

The wasteland hadn’t changed at all. The sky was solid blue, the sun glared abnormally hot, the earth was barren, and the crumbling buildings towered high. Occasionally, a wind would gust through, sweeping up red-brown-colored dirt and sand, and every time, Pechka squeezed her eyes shut.

Pechka met with Clantail first. She thought she saw a doll on the horizon, and then suddenly, Clantail was in front of her. Though she’d lost to Pfle’s wheelchair in a contest of speed, when Clantail sprinted at full velocity, she was much faster than the animals her transformations were based off.

“It’s been a while,” said Pechka.

“Yeah.” Clantail was as taciturn as always. She turned away from Pechka and knelt. Pechka swung a leg over her back and wrapped her arms around Clantail’s stomach—not her animal stomach, her human one. She recalled when they had first met, when she’d been bundled up in spider’s silk, trembling and slung over Clantail’s back. Back then, Clantail had seemed like a monster that had scared the wits out of her. But now that they were fighting dragons, Pechka was used to it. It was interesting how the animal part she sat on and the human part she gripped with her arms had different body temperatures.

“Clantail…”

“Hmm?”

“Your human and animal parts are different temperatures, huh?”

Clantail didn’t reply. When Pechka tilted around to look at her face, she found it was stiff, her cheeks pink. Maybe she’d made Clantail angry? Just being more familiar with her didn’t mean Pechka could be so cheeky with her. She was flustered and about to apologize when Clantail suddenly jumped. Pechka lost her balance and clung on tight, and when she looked behind them, she saw a big rock. They must have jumped over that. She’d nearly been shaken off, though that might have been a coincidence. Maybe she had made Clantail angry after all.

“Um…,” Pechka began. “Thank you for giving me a ride every time, when we meet up.”

“No…” Clantail’s voice became quieter. “Thank you…for making food all the time…” She spoke so quietly, the sound of her hooves drowned out her voice, but Pechka still managed to catch that somehow. Did that appreciation mean Clantail wasn’t mad?

Clantail lifted her spear, pointing ahead. “Over there.”

Someone was waving. It was Nonako Miyokata. She was with the dragon she’d made her friend last time. “Ha-ha-ha! At last, the time has come! Long time no see!”

Nonako took Clantail’s hand and shook it and then shook Pechka’s so vigorously that she dragged her off Clantail’s back. Even once she was down, Nonako didn’t let go of her hand, swinging her around and spinning in a circle. “Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha! I’m so excited!”

Nonako was clearly giddy and, once she was done swinging Pechka every which way, finally let go. She’d gotten herself so worked up, her shoulders were heaving. Her dragon was watching her with concern. “Oh…I got a little too excited…un peu…”

“Are you all right?” asked Pechka.

“I’m fine, I’m fine! No problème. Come on, let’s go. If we dawdle even a little, that obnoxious doll girl will start whining.”

The three of them all started running in the direction of Rionetta’s icon. Even as they ran, Nonako occasionally laughed, fooled around, and played with her dragon.

She was making a deliberate attempt to act more cheerful. Pechka was, too. Clantail had always been the quiet type, but now she was smiling at Nonako’s antics. The way things had ended during their last session, there was no way they could start things off on a merry note this time. But now they were all putting on this enthusiastic act. It was like they were hoping that if they acted as if this were a little joke, then maybe it really would turn into just a joke.

While dark thoughts gripped Pechka, they reached Rionetta. Her arms were folded, and she was steadily tapping on her forearm with her index finger. “You’re late!” She was the only one not trying to hide her bad mood. “Why have you made me wait so long? I would very much appreciate it if you could explain just what you were up to that required such dawdling.”

“See!” cawed Nonako. “Just like I said, hein? She’d still be whining even if we came at Mach 1 speed.”

“Oh? What was that? Speaking poorly of me behind my back? What fabulous adaptive capability you have. I’m quite impressed by your mastery of Japanese culture.”

“I was just speaking objective fact. If facts count as talking behind someone’s back, then you’re the one with the problème.”

“You can never keep your mouth shut.”

“Oh, then I shall try to do better.” They were already at it with no signs of tiring.

Clantail didn’t say anything; she just turned away from them and galloped off to the wasteland town. Still griping and sniping at each other, Rionetta and Nonako ran after her, while the dragon flew along behind them. Pechka was about to follow, but then she suddenly stopped.

She sniffed. Sniff, sniff. And two more sniffs—she could smell something. It was faint, but there was a floral scent in the air, something that seemed incongruous in the wasteland. Not a rare flower. If she had to say, it was common. Yes, this flower was…

“Pechkaaa…ou’ll get le…hiiind…”

She was jerked back to reality. Looking off, she could see that the other three girls and the dragon had come to a halt in the distance and were turned back toward her. Nonako Miyokata’s hands were cupped around her mouth, but she was still so far away, Pechka could only catch bits of what she was saying.

Flustered, Pechka dashed off.

“They went thataway! One red, one green!” Rionetta said, luring the enemy dragons in as Clantail raced past to strike one with her spear. There was the crackle and flash of a lightning strike, burning the red dragon black before it collided with a cliff.

They were still hunting dragons in the subterranean area. They’d done this so many times already, they’d generally come to grips with the creatures’ attack patterns. They were now able to grind effectively, and they used up very little of the recovery medicine Pechka carried.

Just as Rionetta had said before the last logout, the lack of Cherna Mouse’s obstruction made a big difference. Their worries that Melville or Lapis Lazuline would be keeping watch even with Cherna Mouse gone were unfounded. They were able to move freely between hunting grounds. Detec Bell’s team had been occupying the dragon treasury, so they went on killing all three colors one after another to grind for the items and magical candy.

“I’d like to get a newer weapon,” said Rionetta, “if you don’t mind. Our current weapons are decent enough against dragons, but there is the future to consider. Whatever you buy at the subterranean shop is all so expensive. It’s quite the concern.”

“Can we roll some more R?” asked Nonako. “Also, if there are any weapons or armor mon bébé can equip, I’d like to buy them.”

Pechka chimed in, too. “If you have the first aid kit item, you can put a dozen recovery medicines inside. I’d like to be able to carry more of those around.”

They bought some more items, set up their equipment, and killed some more dragons. Afterward, Pechka made their meal.

As Rionetta, Nonako, and Clantail’s tail all squirmed in ecstasy, they ate. From rolling more Rs, they got spoons, forks, plates, and bowls. With not just their food but their cutlery upgraded as well, it turned into a real, full-blown meal.

In a way, all this fighting, arming themselves with items and equipment, and eating good food was just an escape from reality. They had to keep moving, keep running, or they would surely lose their minds. Cherna’s unwarranted death was more than enough reason for them to give up on the game, but even so, right now, they had no choice but to continue playing. They could only close their eyes to the inconceivable results that could fall upon them at any time and make themselves believe that it wouldn’t happen anymore.

They just had to keep moving. They explored every inch of the subterranean area map and searched for hints. The underground region was big enough to span the entirety of the wasteland and the grasslands areas, and there were a lot of places to investigate. Doing that while also hunting dragons made progress slow and stalling.

“There was a message on a different-colored rock wall that said there’s a dragon king,” Pechka informed them.

“A king?” said Nonako. “I suppose it must drop lots of bonbons?”

“It says the space around its throne is bordered in red,” added Rionetta.

As was clear from the fact that they hadn’t managed even one area unlock quest, this party was not good at solving puzzles. Pechka was noncombat personnel, but that didn’t mean she was the one in charge of intellectual labor; Rionetta and Nonako just moaned in the face of cipher texts; and from Clantail’s manner, it seemed she’d never even considered that sort of thing to be her job.

They gathered a bunch of hints that they couldn’t even be sure were helpful. The dragons have a king. The space around its throne is bordered in red. Under the city. Thirty-four, forty-one, twenty-six. Water and a big shield. Glasses of bygone days. What’s gained from death. Leave it to the specialist. There was no way they could derive any answers from all that. This was exactly why their policy had been to leave it to others and allow the other parties to unlock areas. They collected hints just in case while they focused on their main task: hunting dragons.

“This is taking a rather long time, though,” Rionetta murmured during their meal.

“More of your whining about others being late? You’re always going on about time, hein?”

Rionetta ignored Nonako’s jab and continued. “Isn’t it about time that someone discovered the next area? I believe so far, they’ve been unlocked at a rather faster clip.”

“Oh, you’re right,” agreed Pechka. “It has been a while.”

“I don’t want to linger so long in such a damp, dark place. How thoughtless of them. Oh, Pechka? Whatever are you using as a thickener in these Salisbury steaks?”

“I think it might be bread crumbs.”

“Simply brilliant,” Rionetta said.

“Now that you mention it, it has been a long time,” Nonako said.

“Numpties like you never do understand unless it’s spelled out for them, hmm?”

“Excusez-moi?”

“I was complimenting you, saying that you understand when things are explained to you. So what are you so cross about?”

“Um,” Pechka interrupted, “there’s more food, if anyone would like seconds.”

“Donnez-moi! Please!”

“I shall partake.”

Pechka served some to Nonako, some to Rionetta, and some to Clantail, who silently held her bowl out, then added some to her own bowl while she was at it. After that, she just spooned food into her mouth. Pechka was kind of like their mom now.

A few hours later, things started happening. Clantail’s magical phone sounded its ringtone, and everyone froze. Clantail checked her phone and showed the other three the screen. It displayed her inbox, with a message from Pfle. The text was simple. It read,

Discovered area unlock quest. But completing it alone would be challenging. Help requested.

Rionetta said, “Seems we can finally carry on to the next area,” smiling in satisfaction.

  Nokko

They hadn’t been able to figure out why Cherna Mouse had died. At the very least, Nokko hadn’t been involved, so that meant someone else had done it. There was some panicking about how maybe the master had done it, but based off what they had seen of the master’s character thus far, it seemed unlikely that they would interfere in a way that ignored the rules to arbitrarily put the players at a disadvantage.

Cherna Mouse must have been hated by and alienated from the rest of them. A magical girl shutting the other parties out of the good hunting grounds was bound to incur dislike. Cherna Mouse may have been doing that under orders, but she was the one recognized for the act. Besides, you could also say it was her ability, or rather, her body, that allowed them to engage in that monopolistic behavior in the first place.

And her victory in her duel with Pfle had made that clear. The wheelchair tank, constructed from so much material, hadn’t been able to beat Cherna. Nobody could beat her, and as long as she was around, Detec Bell’s party would have continued to monopolize hunting grounds.

In order to stop their domination of the hunting grounds, Cherna Mouse had to go. However, no one would have used that as a basis to kill such a powerful player in an event. All their lives were hanging on completing the game, so if they were left with no more tanks, then they would all be in trouble. It was a horrible idea to kill someone over a petty squabble.

So then who had done it?

None of the players would have benefited from killing her. And it hadn’t been a case of flying into a rage and doing it without thinking. There was also no reason for the master to have killed her. Nokko knew that she herself was not the culprit. There wasn’t anyone who could have done it.

The entire incident seemed extremely ominous to Nokko, and @Meow-Meow had to feel the same way. It was the sort of incident that could make you fall into despair, if worst came to worst. But despite that, @Meow-Meow was hunting dragons, gathering hints, and searching for Genopsyko besides. She had given the other parties her number and told them to contact her if they saw the missing girl.

“There must be some reason,” said @Meow-Meow. “Some kind of situation she can’t get out of, and she just can’t come to us.”

“Yes…of course,” Nokko agreed. She felt like @Meow-Meow was trying to convince herself of that, too. But still, she figured her friend seemed more positive, which was at least better than the stupor she’d been in before.

They hunted dragons, gathered candy, and bought equipment and items. Nokko surmised the other parties had to be doing the same thing. She didn’t want to participate, but still, she couldn’t see anything else she should do. This game was the only place for them to vent their feelings using their magical-girl powers, so Nokko hit the dragons with all her resentment and indignation.

That was when they got the message from Pfle.

Discovered area unlock quest. But completing it alone would be challenging. Help requested.

The message also said that Pfle’s party would be waiting for a while in the subterranean town. So if they could help, please come.

“That’s what it says. So what will we do?” asked Nokko.

“Of course we help them.” @Meow-Meow was filled with intrepid spirit, her eyes shining with the light of her unbending will. But considering how uneasy she had to be in their situation and how unsteady she had been, all her overflowing energy now seemed off. Even if she did fit the standard magical-girl archetype of standing up in times of crises, trusted her allies, never faltering, and never giving in—even if she was just that sort of noble and righteous magical girl—it would have been normal for her to feel more tortured by feelings of helplessness.

Did @Meow-Meow know something? Before she’d snapped out of her daze, she’d been muttering to herself. Did she have some knowledge that enabled her to face all of this?

The town in the subterranean area looked pretty similar to the other towns. The old buildings were made of stone. There was no one in the streets and no one living there. There were windows, but no glass panes. All the messages in the shop were pure pleasantry. If there was any difference at all, it was that it was far more humid here, with a moldy smell on top of that. This was something Nokko could say of the subterranean area as a whole, and she wouldn’t want to live there.

There were a number of magical girls at the meet-up spot. The centaur, shrine maiden, chef, and doll were Clantail’s party of four. The shrine maiden and the doll were glaring at each other. Every time Nokko saw them, they were fighting. Were those two all right?

Detec Bell’s party was there, too. Lacking Cherna Mouse, it was now Lapis Lazuline and Detec Bell. Then there was Melville… Nokko looked around for her and found her sitting on a rock alone, away from the party.

Shadow Gale was carrying Pfle on her back. Nokko and @Meow-Meow approached Pfle first, calling out to her.

“Hello,” said Pfle. “Good of you to come.”

“Your wheelchair still not fixed?” asked @Meow-Meow.

“It’s not quite that it needs fixing. Rather, it needs remaking. Have you acquired any chairs through R?”

“I’m sorry,” said Nokko. “We haven’t been buying any Rs.”

“I see… I’ve been asking everyone here, but no one has a chair. If you happen to acquire one, do allow us to have it. I’ll make it worth your while.”

That Pfle was without her wheelchair also meant that Shadow Gale was the only one between the two of them who could get anything done. Just thinking about it, it seemed like a rough time. Nokko surmised that was part of the reason Pfle had gathered them all for the area unlocking quest. But Pfle’s expression showed no pain or suffering, and she didn’t have dirty clothes or wounds everywhere or anything else that might make her seem pitiful. It was like she was flaunting how Shadow Gale was ferrying her around as if it were just the way things should be.

If anything, the one who looked tired was the one doing the carrying. The weight of one girl was no burden to a magical heroine. But carrying her while also fighting dangerous monsters and protecting her had to be exhausting.

“Now then, it seems everyone is here,” Pfle announced. All the magical girls, aside from Genopsyko Yumenoshima, were gathered at the entrance to the subterranean town. Pfle looked around, eyeing each and every one of them in turn, until finally she nodded toward Nokko. “Well then, follow me. I’ll explain this area unlock quest.” On Pfle’s orders, Shadow Gale set off at a walk, and they all followed.

The subterranean area was basically a cave. The walls were made of hard, angular rocks. It was damp, and many places were wet from the water dripping from above. If you were careless, you might slip, so Nokko took firm steps. She could hear the sound of all their shoes tapping as they walked. With such a big crowd, the drumming was pretty loud. There was one magical girl who didn’t wear any—Clantail—but her hooves were louder than footwear. What’s more, compared with the wasteland, grasslands, and mountains, the path was narrow, and they couldn’t walk abreast. They were forced to make their way along in single file.

From her position as second-to-last, Nokko peered up at the front. It was a continuous view of magical girls’ backs. They all looked entirely defenseless. Weren’t they thinking about how one of them had malicious intent and might attack them from behind? Or was that actually on their minds, and that was why they were exposing their backs—as an attempt to lure that person out?

They walked on for a while until the march stopped. Pfle called out, “Ahead is the pathway leading to the stage of the area unlock quest! An extremely dangerous enemy will be present there! Everyone, stay on guard!” She pulled a pair of glasses out of her magical phone. They were simple in design, functional-seeming, entirely without ornament, and not very magical girl–like. Without a word, Pfle put them. Sure enough, they looked terrible on her. “Now then, come follow me,” she ordered, and Shadow Gale started walking. With some detailed orders (“A little more to the right—yes, right there”), Shadow Gale walked straight forward toward the wall, hit it, and then was sucked silently inside.

While all the other magical girls were voicing their surprise, Pfle popped her head out of the wall and said, “You can enter through here. It’s very narrow, so take care not to bump yourself.”

Clantail, second in line, cautiously touched her hand to the wall. Her fingertips, wrist, and arm passed through the wall and out of sight. The wall was fake, like an illusion or a hologram, and beyond it was a passageway. That had to mean that Pfle’s glasses were an item that could see through the false barrier.

The line began to move again. Clantail entered the wall, and those after her followed. Nokko touched her hand to it as well. Without meeting any resistance, she came out to the other side.

“Wow. It only look like real rock wall,” said @Meow-Meow.

Just ahead of her, Nokko nodded in response to the remark and continued on. For just an instant, her vision darkened, but when she was on the other side, she saw a passage. Unlike the cave they’d been walking through so far, this passage had the look of something artificially carved. The walls, ceiling, and floor were all parallel, and the walls met the floor and ceiling at precise and even ninety-degree angles. The walls felt smooth compared with the plain, bare rock from before. There were torches set at regular intervals along the way, and when Nokko moved her hand close to one, she felt heat. It was real fire. Magical girls didn’t need illumination to see in the dark, but it still felt like something to rely on, somehow.

The hidden passage continued on from that point about five hundred steps, and then the echo of the footsteps before her changed. At Nokko’s height, she couldn’t see ahead, so she poked her head out to the side. The torches were positioned lower on the walls. There were stairs.

The stairs were, just like the passage, artificial. They were not at all like anything naturally occurring. They didn’t go straight forward but curved very gradually to the right. To the right, more right, and yet farther right. It was a downward spiral staircase, turning clockwise.

They had to have descended two hundred steps. Taking into consideration how they’d been underground to begin with, that meant this was quite deep. Perhaps it was Nokko’s imagination, but it seemed to be getting warmer, and the air was thicker and harder to breathe. At the bottom of the stairs, they arrived at a massive open space. It was even bigger than the dragon spawn locations in the subterranean area—more than two or three times greater, perhaps.

The ground was stone-paved, and the walls, unlike the passage and stairway, were bare, angular rock. The ceiling was high, easily a hundred yards up. In the center of the cavern was a raised area like a steep cliff. When Nokko saw the creature there, she gasped. Shocked noises escaped some of the other girls, and some froze in place. Their reactions were various, but they were all stunned.

“So this is the situation.” Pfle turned to them and shrugged. Partially because of the glasses, she looked sillier than necessary.

Nokko took a deep breath in and out.

The raised central platform was circular, about twenty yards in diameter, and on it lay a gigantic, sleeping creature. If you were to stretch out its curled-up tail and measure its whole length, it could be fifteen yards long. Every single one of its scales was so large, shining with red, metallic luster, that Nokko could pick them all out from where they stood. Even with its mouth closed, its fangs were visible from the outside. They were so big and long—and, from what she could see, sharp. Its wings were appropriately large for its size, but there was no way such a massive body could fly in the sky. Its claws were about as long as Nokko was tall, appearing big enough to tear one to shreds in just a single swipe.

This dragon was massive. Compared with this, the creatures they’d been hunting in the subterranean area were pretenders. It was larger, but also more dragon-like. It opened its eyes wide and looked toward them. Its pupils were long, vertical, and narrow. In its gaze and bearing, Nokko could sense its hostility and lethal intent. Her legs trembled.

“You see that red line there?” Pfle pointed. When Nokko looked, she saw a red line running along maybe thirty yards from the dragon. It surrounded the creature’s position at an even distance. “When you go beyond that line…”

Shadow Gale picked up a fist-sized rock from the ground at her feet and tossed it at the dragon. Instantly, the dragon opened its sizable maw, showing them its rows of exposed, carnivorous fangs. There was a red glow in the depths of its throat, and then a great fireball burst out, hitting the rock and swallowing it up as it continued to shoot toward them. Nokko jumped to the side, while some of the others threw themselves to the ground and others raised their shields. But the fireball didn’t pass the red line. It just vanished in midair. Still on guard, they all breathed deep sighs. The rock hadn’t been burned to ash—it was entirely gone.

“This is how it attacks,” explained Pfle. “Fortunately, its attacks don’t pass the red line.”

Nokko wasn’t the only one thinking, So then tell us that first! The glares needling Pfle spoke more eloquently than words.

“Take a look over there, too.” Pfle pointed to the rope ladder that hung above the dragon. It went up to the ceiling, where there was a hole just barely big enough for one person to get through. “The hints we’ve gathered indicate that hole is the gate to the next area. And in order to get there”—Pfle’s finger lowered to point to the dragon—“it seems we’ll have to eliminate our dragon friend doing his best over there.”

“There’s no way we can beat that!” Rionetta yelled hysterically. “Did you just see that? If something like that hits us, we’ll end up as black smudges! And that colossal size! Those clearly hardened scales! Punch and kick that all you like, our attacks aren’t going to do a bloody thing!”

Detec Bell muttered painfully, “If Cherna were here…”

“Why talk of people who are gone?” snapped Rionetta. “Everyone here is done for.”

“That’s not certain at all,” said Pfle. “It seems the road to completion has been prepared for us, after a fashion.” Her magical phone in hand, Pfle swiped the screen. “Everyone, boot up your monster encyclopedias. This creature’s data is listed there.”

Opening up the monster encyclopedia, Nokko found the data there. It was called the Great Dragon, a simple name without any sort of pretension or attempt at wit. Though it was listed in the encyclopedia, most of the entry was question marks. Its methods of attack, drop items, etc., were all hidden.

“I suppose this is what they call a midgame boss,” commented Pfle. “Most of its information is hidden. But some parts are displayed.” The name of the monster, its spawn point, and that its element was fire—those things weren’t hidden. “Its element is fire, so if we equip water charms, we’ll be able to increase our damage dealt as well as reduce damage taken. Well, taking a direct hit would still mean instant death, though.”

“So then what point is there to that?!” Rionetta demanded.

“If you take a direct hit. If you’re equipped with a water charm and guarding your front with a Shield +5, you’ll avoid instant death. You’ll suffer some burns, but you’ll survive it.” Shadow Gale nodded. She must have experimented with this herself. Pfle continued. “And then there’s this.” She pulled a blade out of her magical phone. The small dagger seemed easy to wield, though it had a fairly low attack power. “The Dragon-Killer. It deals especially high damage to dragon-type monsters. The Item Encyclopedia explains that one strike with this weapon will kill it. We went through some trouble to acquire this, but that’s irrelevant now.”

Pfle then added, “Also, @Meow-Meow.”

“What?”

“What exactly is the range of your talismans? If you were to attack with a building, even a dragon wouldn’t go unscathed.”

@Meow-Meow frowned a little. She might have been remembering crushing the samurai girl with that building. “…I just throw talisman. So I have to get really close.”

“Yes, of course. Then we just have to attack from two angles. The Dragon-Killer from the right, and you from the left, @Meow-Meow. Then if either reaches the dragon, it’s victory for us.”

Nokko pondered Pfle’s instructions. The dragon’s attacks would not be fatal. They outnumbered it by a wide margin. The dragon was massive, but it seemed to lack maneuverability due to its size. If they surrounded it with a crowd, it might just work out. They had two attacks that were sure to kill it, and if either of them connected, they could win. It was dangerous, but they had to defeat this monster in order to proceed to the next area, so the players would probably choose to fight.

“Can I ask one thing?” Clantail raised her right hand. “Water charms aside, we don’t have enough Shield +5 for everyone. I’m the only one in our party who has one.”

“Our party doesn’t have any Shield +5, either,” said Lazuline. “Shields and stuff are heavy.”

“We only have one Shield +5,” said @Meow-Meow.

“That’s fine. We have extras.” Pfle raised up her own magical phone. “I won’t be stingy and say I’ll just lend them to you. I relinquish these free of charge.”

“That’s quite kind of you,” said Rionetta, “but can we assume there’s some condition?”

“I want the area unlock reward,” said Pfle. “Specifically, I want all the candy and the real money as my own.” Such an uncomplicated demand silenced them all. All sound but the dragon’s nasal breathing disappeared from the great underground cavern. “You don’t mind? Since Shadow Gale and I were the ones who found the way to this point.”

“It’s asking too much.”

“The real money is a million yen, isn’t it? That’s quite a sum. The greedy will die first, you know.”

“No matter how you look at it, taking all the bonbons is a huge rip-off.”

“Maybe tone it down a little…”

Complaints leaped from each mouth, and Pfle pouted in disapproval. “The area would be unlocked. What does the reward matter?”

“If the reward doesn’t matter, then you should stop tryin’ to take it all for yourself! Give us the candy!” insisted Lazuline.

Rionetta added, “We don’t want you getting the outrageous idea that you can put us to work without any recompense.”

“You leave me no choice,” Pfle said. “Fine. Then the reward for completion will be split evenly between everyone here. But if the dragon drops an item, it will be mine. Agreed?” It had to drop an item. And if there was only one, then only one of them could take it. If any among them had the right to take it, would it not be Pfle?

Everyone shot their party members meaningful glances.

“Fine.”

“Under those condition.”

“We’ll go with that.” Clantail, @Meow-Meow, and Detec Bell all agreed on behalf of their parties.

Pfle’s expression of disapproval instantly vanished, and she put on a beaming smile. “Well then, let’s begin the operation. Those who don’t have shields, come get them. Further discussion will be needed regarding positioning. I imagine you’d all be fine with the brave magical girls in the vanguard receiving a greater portion of the reward than the rest? Also, regarding who is to hold the Dragon-Killer…” Gleefully, Pfle began giving directions.

They all moved to their positions, waiting on standby with their toes just about touching the red line. Nokko wasn’t used to equipment like the shield, and it felt like an even larger burden than it actually was. But that also made it feel more reliable. When the time came, it should protect her.

Beside Nokko was the magical girl in white who was from Clantail’s party…Pechka. She was trembling. Perhaps Nokko was somehow fated to end up with this girl, as she was always nearby at times like these for some reason. From what Nokko could tell, she didn’t seem all that reliable.

Clantail had the Dragon-Killer in her right hand and a Shield +5 ready in her left. @Meow-Meow was straight ahead of the dragon, also with a Shield +5. The other girls were each equipped with her own Shield +5, too. Only Melville was charged with support fire using her bow and harpoons. Water charms hanging from all their necks, they encircled the dragon.

While the magical girls were getting ready, the dragon observed them with half-lidded eyes without paying much attention. It seemed bored, as if it believed that no matter how much the humans prepared, it would never lose.

Shadow Gale lowered Pfle down onto a rock and headed to her own position.

“Now then…” Pfle was right about to give the signal for the operation to begin, when—

“Huh?” Rionetta stood up. She opened her mouth, eyes turning to the entrance of the great cavern. Nokko followed her gaze. Standing there was Genopsyko Yumenoshima.

“Genopsyko!” @Meow-Meow yelled, shooting to her feet. Her expression changed from shock to joy, sparking with the elation of finally having found the person she was searching for all this time.

Her visor was up, and they had a good view of her face. She was just like she had been before—no scars like what Detec Bell’s party had seen. Had she healed up already? Or had she never had anything like that to begin with?

Genopsyko was smiling, too. She spread both arms and ran over to give @Meow-Meow a big hug. Grinning as well, @Meow-Meow hugged her back, the two of them tumbling over the red line—and then the dragon spewed flame.

Before they could grasp what had just happened, the dragon spat another fireball that hit the fallen pair. Raising its head up to the ceiling, the creature’s throat rumbled as it howled. The great cavern resounded.

“Never ye stop! Chaerge!” cried Melville.

With a jerk, they all moved into action.