Reincarnated as the Narrow-Eyed Character in a Magical Girl Battle Story

“W-What?!”

With a look of despair, Lena jumped up in disbelief.

The traces of destruction they had inflicted moments ago.

The ruins of Kabukicho, filled with screams and terror, vanished without a trace, and the streets returned to their normal state.

Everything they had done disappeared as if it were a dream.

People walking down the street were moving orderly towards the main road.

I approached the shocked girls, surprised by the sudden return to the original scenery.

“So, do you feel a bit relieved now?”
“…….”
“…….”
“…….”

The guilt of their destructive acts left them dazed, and they looked at me with expressions that couldn’t tell if this was reality. Their tear-streaked faces were no different from any other girls.

“Right now, it’s real. You’re just foolish kids who caused a ruckus in front of Kabukicho.”
“Thank goodness…”

Gulp

Nanami looked shocked, covering her mouth as if she couldn’t believe the words that slipped out. Tear-filled eyes glistened as they formed.

Their true feelings flowed out from their unconsciousness.

I saw it, heard it, felt it.

“Oh, you guys.”

Thwack
Thwack
Thwack

I lightly struck each of their heads with my staff, infused with a hint of resentment.

The girls, unable to overcome their contradictory anger and breaking havoc under my name, shivered in relief as they absorbed the pain in their heads.

“Why were you trying to do something you’d regret?”
“But…”

Kohane, with swollen eyes, seemed to mumble excuses, so I gave her forehead one more gentle tap with my staff.

Thwack
“Ugh?! That hurts…”

I unfolded the Dream World, feeling where their emotions were headed.

It wasn’t an ending gained from revenge or destruction. Rather, it was a goal to move forward.

Kabukicho was not their final destination.

‘As soon as they gained strength, they rampaged as if to unleash their grudges, but that had been distorted anger over a long time.’

In the original story, there was no companion who traveled alongside a [Machine Gun].

Did she just entrust her life’s goal to someone, unable to conquer her own contradictions?

“So, you still haven’t changed your mind?”
“……”
“If you’re still feeling wronged, go ahead and do more.”
“……”

Lena seemed to hesitate on how to respond to my question. Then, it was an adult’s duty to show the wandering Lena a suitable direction.

There was still room for them to change, and the advice I could give them was…

*

“So, Leader, what did you do?”
“What?”
“Those ruckus-bound girls who were about to burn down Kabukicho turned themselves in to the police, right?”

Ichika crossed her legs, waiting for my answer.

Since I had drawn Lena, Kohane, and Nanami into the illusion barrier, Ichika and Hana were waiting outside, so they couldn’t see the whole sequence of events.

“Does the illusion magic you use have a hypnotic effect that changes hearts or something?”
“If I had that, I would have cast it on Fujimoto and the criminals.”
“Well, that makes sense.”
“I just took a little more responsibility since this was partly my fault.”
“Why is it the Leader’s fault…?”

Ichika, who seemed to want to say something, hesitated and then turned her head away.
“Wow! That’s amazing! Hikari-chan, the hypnotist who brightens the world!”
“Hana-chan, it’s an illusionist, an illusionist.”
“Illusionist!”

On the empty train returning to Yokohama.

I glanced at Hana’s side profile, applauding and echoing her words, before turning my gaze out the window.

The sky, dyed red by the sunset,
The city lights were slowly being turned on as twilight settled.
The glowing cityscape in the approaching darkness.

‘The cityscape, which those kids hated, shouldn’t be visible at least tonight.’

After seeing their true dreams in the Dream World, those girls wept and then turned themselves in to the police.

Their true wish was not the destruction of the streets but the reunion with their families. What they genuinely longed for was not hatred but love.

The distorted dreams of those girls, twisted during the long, painful time.

‘If I had been in that situation, I might have reacted the same way.’

As I pondered about their hatred that didn’t feel distant.
Hana spoke to me, sensing my complicated emotions.

“Hikari-chan, are you sad?”
“Hmm?”
“Since those bad sisters saw it, their expressions have been weird ever since.”
“Is that so? Is it just my usual expressionless fox eyes?”

Hana shook her head at Ichika’s indifferent comment.
“Hikari-chan, when you’re really sad, you make that expression.”
“……”

So that’s why adults shouldn’t show emotions in front of kids.

“Just… I feel like it’s partly my fault.”
“Why is it the Leader’s fault?”
“If I had done better as [Start]’s Magical Girl in a different way, those kids wouldn’t have been provoked.”

If I had made an impact on this world, perhaps I needed to be prepared to take responsibility until the end.

A wave of change thrown irresponsibly led directly to chaos, which appeared immediately after.

No matter how quickly I stopped it, there were those who had already suffered from it.

Even if it was a world destined for destruction, they had been harmed by me long ago.

In order to save precious people and innocent lives, couldn’t there have been a better way?

Words I couldn’t bear to say swirled in my head.

“That doesn’t seem right. Why is it the Leader’s fault?”

Ichika stood up abruptly, pointing at me as she continued. “The bad things that happen with Magical Girls in the world aren’t all the Leader’s fault! Digging a hole and burying yourself like that…”

Ichika hesitated as if trying to sort out her thoughts mid-sentence. It felt like she only wanted to comfort me but feared hurting me because she couldn’t express it well.

“Tch, sorry for yelling. I think I got heated.”
“……”
“I’ll cool down for a moment. Sorry!”

Rattle thud!

An eerie calm returned to the empty subway car.

Night view and sunset,
Lonely stillness.

Inside, Hana quietly spoke up.

“I think Ichika is angry because she doesn’t want Hikari-chan to hurt herself.”
“Yeah, I know.”

Sato Hana tightly held my hand. Feeling the warmth of her soft grip, my complicated heart gradually began to settle.

“Hikari-chan.”
“Hmm?”
“I was happy you asked me to help people today.”
“……”
“Mom and Dad only worry when I want to do something.”

To Sato’s parents, Sato Hana wasn’t just a powerful Magical Girl, but a precious daughter who had just begun to walk again after a long time.

Even if it was urgent, wasn’t it a rash decision I made too hastily?

Regret.

Realizing I held guilt in my heart, Hana held my hands tighter, intertwining her fingers.

“Thanks to Hikari-chan, I think I found out what I truly want to do.”
“What do you want to do?”
“Yeah!”

Hana smiled brightly at me.

Her hair seemed to shine, even though it hadn’t transformed due to the sunset.

“I want to help people in trouble with the power of a Magical Girl!”
“……”
“Will you help me?”
“…Yeah.”
“Thank you.”

This world didn’t seem soft enough to be fixed with just one show.

Then let’s change it more.
Let’s help and teach a little more so they can make better choices.

So that Magical Girls can genuinely find their dreams.
Someday, when everything is over, let’s be able to return smiling in front of their mothers.

Let’s make an effort.

*

The interrogation room of the Metropolitan Police Department was filled with tension.

It was because the three Magical Girls, who had caused a ruckus not too long ago, had come to turn themselves in.

“So they were just kids unrelated to [Start]’s Magical Girl?”
“All three of their statements are consistent, and above all, it’s confirmed they were gathered at the plaza during the broadcast…”
“On the contrary, most testimonies indicate that [Start]’s Magical Girl focused on rescue efforts during the incident.”
“……”
“I don’t understand.”

The Kabukicho incident.

Officially, it was the first incident instigated by a supernatural ability user with resentment against society.

Since the three culprits acted in a manner closer to a show of force than causing casualties, property damage occurred, but aside from a few injuries, there weren’t many causalities. However, it served as a wake-up call about how powerless public authority could become if supernatural ability users decided to throw a tantrum.

During the time when public authority was paralyzed and unable to function.

The girls subdued by the mysterious Magical Girl group came in as if possessed by spirits, turning themselves in.

“Just what is that Magical Girl group…”
“Statements say that [Start]’s Magical Girl directly came to restrain them as well.”
“[Start]’s Magical Girl…”

In just two months, she led Magical Girls to be seen in society once again.

She was the one who revealed the principles of supernatural abilities and blooming that no one could uncover.

“It’s like…”

Wasn’t this behavior similar to Prometheus, who first taught humanity how to use fire?

“Lady Fujimoto seems particularly interested in [Start].”
“So that’s why she personally came to interrogate.”

Inside the interrogation room behind the magic mirror, Fujimoto Sumire was watching the three instigators of the incident as a national magical girl special interrogation officer.

“…So they were just a group impersonating [Start]?”
“……”

The girl in black attire with sharp eyes exuded an intimidating presence.

Lena, Kohane, and Nanami nodded silently to her question.

“I see.”
“……”
“It did seem a bit strange. [Start], who seemed to follow her own beliefs, suddenly resorting to terrorism…”
“…Truthfully, we don’t know much more than what we’ve said so far…”
“The mask made it hard to see their faces…”
“Is that so.”

Sumire answered in a businesslike tone before pulling out various documents from the envelope on the desk in the interrogation room.

[Supernatural Ability Crime History Throughout Kanto]
[Statistics on Supernatural Ability Users in Tokyo 23 wards]

Now hidden due to the flashy disturbances caused by these girls, crimes and chaos utilizing supernatural abilities were gradually coming to light.

“[Start] said that supernatural abilities… Magical Girls are the power of dreams, right?”
“Yeah…?”
“It’s hard to speculate why no one has been able to uncover this information.”

Sumire quietly gazed at the three girls and continued.

“Even if the source of power for Magical Girls deviates from the logic of resources and is a new form of power, uncontrolled powers are prone to overflow and rampage.”

It was difficult for everyone to grasp what that meant, so we stared at Sumire in confusion.

“We aim to create a group that can stabilize and control that.”
“That’s…!”
“The episode in Kabukicho will be handled under Fujimoto’s name.”

You will come under my name.

“Soon, special laws targeting supernatural ability users will be enacted. Included will be a provision to give community service to those who committed crimes with supernatural abilities in situations they could hardly control.”

I will forgive your sins.

“If it’s true that the power of Magical Girls strengthens as dreams and goals, Fujimoto can surely embrace it.”

I will grant your wishes.

“……”

Lena, understanding the implications of all the words, fell silent for a moment.

‘What do you really want?’

The sincere emotions that [Start]’s Magical Girl had shown us.

“I want to find… my family… again.”
“…Understood.”

Sumire’s eyes sparkled quietly as she spoke.

“Welcome to the Magical Girl Alliance.”

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