Regarding the fact that my best friend is a magical girl

She saved the world twelve years ago and was one of the original seven magical girls named after a star – Vega, the Goddess of the Fortress.

Read as "magical girl," but written as "land fortress," its unshakeable defenses and superior individual firepower allowed it to single-handedly sweep away the invaders from outside Europe...

"Judging from your expression, you're probably thinking of that person, aren't you? What if I tell you that you guessed correctly?"

"This...this really is the Star Crystal of Vega?"

"Yes."

One of the seven Star Crystals that first descended to Earth, such a precious thing, has now become a part of my body.

But there's a problem.

"Then why don't I have those armors and heavy weapons?"

Rather, they are completely different.

I appear to have neither defensive nor offensive capabilities.

"Even with the same Star Crystal, the transformed form and magic will vary from person to person."

Miss Yin Wei flipped through the flowchart in her hand and said, "Perfect, now that the transformation is successful, the next step should be the test of magical abilities..."

------

Transformation, testing, and finally registration.

The whole process took quite a while, and it was already dark when we left the association.

"Sister Wei, am I just going back like this?"

"What, you want to stay overnight at the association?"

Ms. Yin drove me back to area D3.

Passing by the streets that were bombed this afternoon, I saw that repair work had already begun, and it was estimated that they would be restored to their original state by tomorrow morning.

"Let's stop here. I want to walk back the rest of the way."

When I said that, Ms. Yin Wei stopped the car.

"Here's a piece of advice: go back looking like this today, and whatever you do, don't change back on the way."

"……Why?"

She sighed and then handed me her phone.

"Because of what happened this afternoon, you have become public enemy number one."

My eyes are filled with messages condemning me, and even my photos are being posted without any blurring, all accompanied by "heartfelt greetings".

"...I really am annoying."

It's no longer possible for them to function as human beings in society, is it?

"Incidents of breaking into a sealed-off area to secretly photograph a magical girl happen all over the world, but this is the first time that a magical girl has been seriously injured like this. You were just the spark that ignited this huge discontent... Of course, you are not innocent either."

They were really badly criticized.

But I actually felt at ease because of it.

After all, this is the kind of scolding I deserve. I remember Miss Kagerou lying on the ground, unable to move even a finger, yet blasting herself towards the monster to save me...

Am I really someone who deserves such a sacrifice from her?

"I will fill the void left by Ms. Kagerou. Until she recovers, I will maintain order in this area as a magical girl."

"It's good to be determined, but don't push yourself too hard. The association has assigned you a mentor who will provide advice during battles. You can also contact me anytime you need help later."

"I feel bad for always troubling you."

“Assisting magical girls is my job, and you are now one of the magical girls who save the world. What’s there to be embarrassed about? You are fighters who fight for all mankind, while I can only do some small work behind the scenes, which is not worth mentioning at all.”

A fighter for all mankind?

This is the first time I've heard someone refer to magical girls as such. It makes sense, though these days magical girls are becoming more and more like idols, but they are still essentially a group of "superheroes".

Perhaps I should try to look at magical girls from a different perspective.

I opened the car door.

"Ms. Yin Wei, thank you."

"I don't know what you're thanking me for, but it's all what I should do."

"Okay, see you another day!"

I perked up. I got out of the car, carrying my jeweled wand. Miss Yin Wei turned around and left at the next intersection. I quickly noticed that everyone around me was paying attention to me… Was my outfit too eye-catching?

I remember the battle suit could be deactivated, but I don't have any clothes to change into, and I left my wallet and phone at the KFC...

They could only endure the unbearable stares.

If they knew I was the culprit who ruined Miss Kagerou's life, they would definitely look at me differently now.

"Sister, are you a magical girl?"

Just as I was feeling guilty, a young girl stood in front of me and asked me a question with her innocent eyes.

The child's innocent voice reminded me that, for whatever reason, I am now part of the magical girl community.

Therefore, I must maintain the good image of a magical girl.

"Yes, my older sister is a magical girl! She's here to protect everyone in place of your sister Kagerou!"

This way of speaking is not my style.

The little girl's eyes were filled with such dazzling longing. Do I really deserve this admiration?

"Wow! Is that older sister more powerful than Yang Yan?"

Although I've become a magical girl, I have absolutely no combat experience, and my magical abilities are meaningless. To be honest, I haven't even figured out how to fight monsters, let alone compare to the battle-hardened Ms. Kagerou.

Of course, this is something that can't be said.

Sun Yao's life is beyond saving.

But as a magical girl, I've only just begun...

"I may not be as good as Miss Kagerou, but I'll do my best to drive those weirdos away!"

"Big sister, you have to do your best! I want to be a magical girl when I grow up too!"

I waved my magic wand and used magic to create a bear-shaped bubble.

It is soft, transparent, and very lightweight.

"Well, I don't know how long this little bear will last, but I'll give it to you as a gift for now~"

The girl happily accepted the bubble doll and gave it a lovely smile.

"Thank you, sister!"

"No, I'm the one who should be saying thank you."

I feel like I can see the path I should take.

Chapter Six: Air-Type Magical Girl

(Albinocotyledon)

Like a child who has just received a new toy, Ayao couldn't wait to show off her magic to me.

"So, your ability is to turn air into these... air sacs?"

With a wave of her ruby-encrusted wand, bubbles floated throughout the living room. Although they wouldn't pop no matter how hard you pressed them, they were limp and had no offensive power. They were more suitable as pillows than for fighting.

As expected of A Yao.

Not only is she soft herself, but her magical girl abilities are also weak.

"An air-type magical girl, you might be the first... but how do you plan to fight monsters with that kind of ability?"

"I haven't thought about it yet, but I can still do something like this!"

She waved her wand at me.

A distinct magical membrane appeared on my body, and then, like a blown-up bubble, the membrane expanded into a round bubble slightly larger than me.

Then, the bubble floated up gently.

"Oh? The internal weight will be ignored?"

A balloon can hold an iron block, yet the balloon can still float. Ayao's ability is to make the weight of the iron block disappear.

Moreover, I am also in a state of weightlessness inside the bubble; in other words, external gravity has no effect on the inside of the bubble.

"Hmm! Although they're soft, the bubbles I make are quite sturdy. This afternoon, I asked a magical girl who happened to be at the association to help test their strength. It takes some effort to break them, both from the inside and the outside, so they'll be very useful for rescuing people who can't take shelter in time."

Looking at it this way, this ability is quite powerful. She doesn't seem to have consumed much magic power, and it's quite strong as a defensive ability.

But defensive capabilities alone are not enough.

"So how are you going to use this move to fight the monster?"

"The current plan is to lock up the weirdo first, and then keep adding more bubbles!"

"That's just a restrictive measure, it can't really be called an attack, can it?"

Holding his magic wand, Ayao replied with a serious face, "Then... let the monster die from lack of oxygen."

"...It sounds cruel, but do monsters really need to breathe?"

For example, that stone monster in the afternoon didn't even have facial features, so it's impossible to deduce its existence using the thinking of carbon-based life forms.

"But this is really the only kind of bubble I can conjure."

Ayao scratched his head, looking quite troubled.

I can offer some advice from a magical girl's perspective, but as Shiroko, I can't say anything.

"The application of magic is gradually explored and practiced in battle. Other magical girls must have gone through the same process, so there's no need to rush~"

She seemed quite pleased when I said that.

"Oh! You always say you're not interested in magical girls, but you actually say something quite good! Yoko, you're right, a magical girl is one who grows through battle!"