Congratulations on Your Magical Girl Duties

7 – Magical Therapy (2)

“Enough.”

The owner of the voice was the white magic girl.

Three stars on her armband. A rank held by only two magic girls here, and the highest rank at that.

“Let’s stop it around here.”

She appeared to be a very young girl. A baby face, a small physique where only the bare minimum of development existed, and pigtails tied on either side of her head, leaving her long hair loose.

Of course, she wasn’t really a ‘girl’. Her orange eyes were more jaded than those of pessimists, and even with her meager frame, she still had the proportions of an adult woman. Her unusually revealing attire was just a bonus.

Even so, those weren’t intense enough elements to erase the white magic girl’s youthful impression.

However.

“Wow.”

She looked a little different to me.

“Why do *you* suddenly look so startled?”

“It’s just…”

A monster.

“So *this* is what a magical girl is like.”

Literally, a monster.

The white magical girl before my eyes was an existence so far beyond the pale, she made every strong opponent I’d ever faced look like small fry.

Even in my prime, I couldn’t handle her.

I’m serious.

No amount of calculation can quantify her.

How the hell does someone like that even exist?

And she didn’t even chant anything, yet her power and activation speed are just insane. Can you even consider this a person? Honestly, I don’t know.

This is humanity’s guardian?

She’s just humanity’s ultimate weapon, isn’t she?

At this point, it’s amazing that the monsters haven’t just died immediately facing her. How did they even survive, seriously?

While I was inwardly marveling non-stop, the green magical girl, still bearing some resentment, desperately spoke.

“W-wait a minute!”

“Enough, Magical Girl Green Blowfish.”

Regardless, the white magical girl replied indifferently. As if she had no more value to listen to.

Once again, the green magical girl protests.

“In the first place, that b*stard was the one who started this─”

“Hey.”

“……”

And she immediately shut her mouth.

“I told you to stop.”

The white magical girl’s tone was no different from before. A dry, toneless voice dripping with obvious annoyance.

“Why aren’t you listening? Did getting promoted this time make you think you’re untouchable? Should I make you *actually* untouchable?”

“…No, Ma’am.”

But the pressure was immense. Even though it wasn’t directed at me, I shrunk back slightly.

The feeling that she was forcibly suppressing a rage.

The reason was hard to pinpoint. However, rather than her words being ignored by the other girl…

It felt, somehow, like she was angry at having her prey stolen away.

But why?

What did I even do?

Amidst all that, the white magical girl’s composed scolding continued.

“Does magical girl life end when you get two stars?”

“No, it does not.”

“Why is someone who knows acting like this?”

“My apologies.”

“You shouldn’t do things you have to apologize for. Isn’t that right?”

“That is correct.”

In the end, the green magical girl didn’t say another word, quietly shrinking away.

She still shot me a look of contempt, but even that was fleeting. The white magical girl’s pressure must have been considerable.

Well, none of my concern.

Serves you right, you b*tch.

“It seems the situation has been roughly sorted out.”

The white magical girl turns her gaze to me.

“Then, let’s resume the consultation.”

Now, at last, the real consultation was beginning.

*

Jin Soa.

Her magical girl name, White Phoenix.

Rank, Magical Lieutenant General—the highest among magical girls.

However.

She was more often referred to by other titles than by her real name or magical girl moniker.

The White Devil.

The strongest magical girl in history.

The 47-year-old spinster magical girl.

Jin Soa didn’t particularly care for those titles. Especially the last one, which she loathed. All the more so because it was based on a cold, hard truth.

But, to be a bit more precise…

Jin Soa genuinely hated the fact that she had become a magical girl in the first place.

Honestly, who would have known? Working in a factory, unmarried at 37, only to suddenly awaken as a magical girl one day.

Inevitably, at the age of 37, a figure that wouldn’t be ashamed to stand beside anyone was reduced to the physique of a child overnight.

Of course, it wasn’t entirely without its perks. Her dull, dark hair transformed into lustrous white locks, and her skin’s radiance was improved.

Still, the disadvantages outweighed the advantages.

In the midst of it all, her aptitude as a magical girl was legendary, to the point that, after 10 years, she earned the title of the strongest magical girl.

Thanks to that, Jin Soa’s dreams were utterly shattered.

The profoundly ordinary, impossibly distant dream of getting married, retiring, and living as a full-time homemaker.

Blind dates?

Matchmaking?

Neither was easy.

Even before becoming a magical girl, opportunities were scarce, and even those she had to decline due to being too busy with work.

Of course, when comparing marriage and work, marriage is undoubtedly more important. Comparing the two is even disrespectful.

Even so, Jin Soa couldn’t quit her job.

If Jin Soa didn’t work, who else would cover her only younger brother’s hospital bills?

Her brother, who came into her life when she was 20. A fragile being who was born with a chronic illness and had spent most of his short life confined to a hospital bed.

And.

The only family she had left in the world, on the day Jin Soa graduated from university.

How could she abandon such a younger brother?

Even with the doctor’s pronouncement that there was no hope, even with her brother’s condition showing no improvement, Jin Soa absolutely refused to give up.

There were two choices presented to her. But, she could only choose one.

Her brother’s flickering life.

Jin Soa’s own future.

The latter was the one to be discarded.

Conversely, after becoming a magical girl, she couldn’t even entertain the thought. Her talent was so extraordinary that she was constantly busy, working every single day without rest.

She could have taken some time to go on blind dates or arranged meetings, but she didn’t.

Because if Jin Soa allowed herself a moment of leisure, it was clear that someone else would end up dying. In reality, there were far too many such instances.

Jin Soa wasn’t shameless enough, nor was her heart strong enough, to ignore those people.

And.

Now, 10 years later, the world has become considerably more stable, and Jin Soa has become quite comfortable, both mentally and financially.

Now, even the option of refusing blind dates or introductions was no longer afforded to her.

In the first place, such arrangements were never even made.

Well, in a way, it was a predictable outcome. Thanks to the sieve that wasn’t just one filter, but a triple layer.

Her pathetically frail physique.

The age of forty-seven, gazing upon fifty’s doorstep.

And the moniker, “The Strongest Magical Girl.”

Some acquaintances had painstakingly tried to set up a meeting for Jin So-ah, but without any real success.

It was, in truth, an inevitable tale. Even perverts who lusted after youthful bodies would be forced to face reality before the age of forty-seven.

And was that all? As if magical girls didn’t already hold positions of elevated social standing due to their roles, Jin So-ah existed at the very apex of them.

It was impossible not to feel burdened. Even magical girls felt uneasy around Jin So-ah, so what chance did an ordinary person have to cope?

Unsurprisingly, pursuing a natural encounter, as Jin So-ah hoped for, was out of the question. Wherever she went, she was recognized.

Besides, what kind of world was this now?

A world where the number of men was drastically insufficient.

Though men had always held the reins in marriage, that control only tightened after the Calamity.

Polygamy had long since solidified as common sense, and even that was only barely possible if a woman actively courted.

In short, it was a world overflowing with choices for men.

Even if women’s social status had surpassed men’s, the advantage was reversed in the marriage market.

And so, no men flocked to Jin So-ah.

After all, beauty had become far more common since the advent of magical girls. Even with the severe shortage of magical girl power, they still numerically surpassed men by far.

So, what was there to regret about marrying a forty-seven-year-old spinster magical girl? They could just marry a younger woman or magical girl instead.

It couldn’t be helped. Then as now, men generally preferred something young and pretty, even if they lacked competence.

A puppy over a dog.

A calf over a cow.

A chick over a hen.

Consequently, men had no compelling reason to choose Jin So-ah as a marriage partner.

Well, strictly speaking, there were a handful of men who approached Jin So-ah, though rare.

However, they were not of sound mind.

Only those drowning in alcohol, seeking a one-night stand to satiate their lust, or those with malicious intent, wanting to crush the Strongest Magical Girl beneath them.

Yet, none of them ever put it into practice.

The moment they stood face-to-face with Jin So-ah, they regained their senses and fled.

It was, in truth, closer to instinct than reason. Like a beast facing an unknown terror, fleeing without a backward glance into the darkness of a burrow.

With this alone, Jin So-ah proved it. A magical girl who had danced on the razor’s edge could, with her mere presence, overwhelm a person from the very depths of their primal being.

Truly, the strongest magical girl, Jin So-ah.

Was she Jin So-ah because she was the strongest?

Or was she the strongest because she was Jin So-ah?

Well, neither mattered all that much.

What mattered was that the opponent was overwhelmed by the sheer presence of Jin So-ah and fled.

Once, Jin So-ah, seized by a sudden pique, had caught one. The opponent had dissolved into tears, pissing themselves, and even managed to stammer out:

“I’m sorry! I’ll cosign anything! Take my organs! I’ll live a truly virtuous life from now on, just please, please spare me this one time!”

That day, Jin So-ah cried a little.

No, quite a lot.

Anyway.

It was for this reason that Jin So-ah had never once enjoyed being a magical girl.

The only good thing was the obscene amount of money she received. At least she no longer had to fret over mere pennies like she used to.

But what good was it, really?

Marriage was already out of the question.

In the end, Jin So-ah’s life partner wasn’t a loving husband and children, but dried squid and chilled soju.

Today, like so many days before, was shaping up to be the same.

[So-ah, phone call!]

“Huh?! Could it be a blind date? Or a match? Just a minute! Let me get out some new underwear!”

[No, it’s the Magical Association!]

“Ah, goddamn it. Those sons of b*tches.”

That’s what would have happened, had it not been for the Association’s sudden summons.

A golden Sunday.

The moment she heated the dried squid and cracked the cap of the slightly frozen soju, a call came from the Association.

“We’re sorry. We’re sorry. We’re sorry.”

The beginning was, as always, an apology, but despite it, the other party firmly delivered the message.

“We were hoping you could take on psychological counseling for the Magical Aptitude Test.”

They even added that the counseling target wasn’t a woman, but a man.

Kim Shi-yul, was it?

Well, that wasn’t the important thing.

He calls me out of the blue on a Sunday, and I’m thinking, ‘What on earth is going on?’ and then he throws this completely random thing at me. Utter nonsense, that’s what it is.

Instead of setting me up with a guy, he suddenly wants me to psychologically assess some deserter to see if he’s ‘magical girl’ material.

Even for the Association, this is crossing the line way too much. To a magical girl with three whole stars, no less! How dare they ask such a thing?

Jin So-ah spat out a thick curse, making her intentions to refuse crystal clear.

“Hey, you son of a bi—!”

「Ah, right. I forgot to mention this. He’s been on the run for twelve years, a deserter.」

Just like that, from the moment she heard those words, her interest was piqued.

Not a positive kind of interest, though.

Quite the opposite, in fact.

A subtle resentment began to bubble up.

“Is that so?”

Jin So-ah remembered it clearly.

During the monster invasion, when they were running out of people, that cursed government even dragged her sickly younger brother, who was practically bedridden, to the front lines.

He wasn’t even an adult back then, still a minor, but that damned nation didn’t give a damn. Said they’d use him as a meat shield.

Back then, Jin So-ah wasn’t a magical girl yet. All she could do was watch her brother being dragged away, screaming like a madwoman.

And did taking her frail brother there actually accomplish anything meaningful?

Of course not.

The unit he was assigned to was completely wiped out right in front of their base, a futile conclusion.

By one, single ‘special’ monster.

Maybe a bit of luck stuck around with him. Despite everyone else dying, her brother miraculously survived.

Though, he didn’t make it through unscathed.

Because after that, her brother never opened his eyes again.

Even after being transferred to the Association’s Magical Central Hospital, his condition didn’t improve.

His pre-existing illness? Already completely cured.

Thorough examination? Done dozens of times. Results came back normal.

Spiritual problem? None of the religious types could help.

Yet her brother still remained unresponsive.

Literally, a walking corpse, only breathing.

Practically as good as dead.

So it was that Jin So-ah’s interest was piqued.

‘Just who…’

What kind of b*stard was he? A sharp smile etched itself onto Jin So-ah’s face.

She wanted to see the mug of the man who’d abandoned even her own brother to death, run and run until the world calmed a little, and then dare to poke his head out again.

And after that, she wanted to ask him:

Where, and how, had he run?

What, in all this time, had he been doing?

And.

Had he found happiness, drinking the blood of her younger brother?

“Ah, and I heard the other Commanders will be coming as well… what will you do?”

It seemed she wasn’t the only one who felt this surge of interest.

Not a bad thing. If everyone was coming, it surely meant she’d get to see her old friend.

She’d been too busy raising three children, they hadn’t met even once in years, but maybe she could at least catch a glimpse of her this time.

“…”

Suddenly, Jin So-ah felt a pang of gloom.

Some were already popping out their third child at such a young age, while others were stuck in their rooms, alone, chewing on dried squid and slugging from a bottle on a Sunday.

It wasn’t like her body would age unless she retired from being a magical girl, but in just three years, she’d be fifty. The number in front would change.

At this rate, forced retirement would come faster than marriage, a fate unheard of for anyone like her. She’d be more likely to meet close friends at a funeral than a wedding.

The future was supposed to be invisible, but Jin So-ah could see her own bleak future perfectly well.

Disgustingly, vividly clear.

“Hngh… why only me…”

Jin So-ah quietly sniffled.

“Ah, are you perhaps… crying? I’m sorry. Let’s forget this conversation ever happened.”

“…It’s fine. It’s not that.”

Anyway.

Jin So-ah had already intended to answer that she would go.

“Just one question.”

“Of course?”

But first, she had something she wanted to confirm, so she hesitated to give her answer.

She didn’t know the specifics of the Association’s request, but outwardly, it was supposedly the final stage of the Magical Aptitude Test: psychological evaluation.

By the book, the person in charge of counseling decides whether the client becomes a magical girl or not.

Simply put, it means determining active duty status.

“The result, it doesn’t matter ‘how’ it’s done, right?”

Jin Soa emphasized the word ‘how’ rather pointedly. It wasn’t simply a statement about determining active duty.

For now, she intended to listen to what the other party had to say.

To see if it was truly malicious.

Or just a simple mistake.

However, if someone intentionally committed such an act, they probably didn’t fully grasp how harsh and brutal this world had become.

“Do you have something else planned?”

“No, not necessarily planning to do anything.”

In a world filled with monsters and magical girls, one could never rule out unforeseen circumstances.

For example, suddenly having an “accident” on the way back from the assessment.

“Who knows if lightning might strike from a clear sky, or if the ‘sun’ might fall. Wouldn’t you agree?”

Because of anomalies where one could never foresee the warning signs.

“Actually, I usually tell the other commanders to try to recruit magical girls whenever possible… .”

The association representative trailed off for a moment.

After a brief silence, a voice was heard.

“Well, who knows when or how a natural disaster might occur. The world is so dangerous, after all. Something that everyone will become ‘unaware of’.”

“Good.”

It was a very satisfying answer.

It meant the association would handle the aftermath.

“So, what will you do?”

“I’ll go.”

With those words, Jin Soa left the house with a sticky, thrilled interest.

And, as time passed, Jin Soa was now.

“What the hell are you talking about?”

“I’m serious, I swear on my mother. Even though I don’t have one.”

“Ha.”

She clutched her throbbing head.