Chapter 87 The Unsuspecting Hero and the Scandalous Secret
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
Though weariness clung to my bones, I sat with Ami-chan for a council before sleep. The agenda was simple, yet delicate: the treatment of Lady Reika.
”As for me, I’d quite like to continue nurturing Reika as one of our Magical Girl candidates,” Ami-chan said playfully.
”I feel the same, but… that girl. She definitely has the wrong idea about us, doesn’t she?” I asked.
To her, we must surely appear as heroes fighting monsters in the shadows. It was a natural conclusion, given that her pursuers looked like the very embodiment of villainy.
”It’s fine, isn’t it? Let her keep her delusions. In a way, she isn’t even entirely wrong. Whether one is ‘just’ or ‘evil’ is merely a matter of perspective anyway,” Ami-chan countered.
”I suppose so… but in our case, I’m fairly certain we’re on the side of the wicked,” I muttered.
We used skills to artificially inflate Affection Levels and expanded our dominion by satiating our own egos. It was, by most standards, a villainous path.
”But we’ve established a fair trade with the Magical Girls. We aren’t simply exploiting them; we give them the power they crave in return,” Ami-chan insisted.
”……You’re right,” I said.
Reika had desired that power with a burning intensity, much like Cleonora and Liliarette before her.
”Well, Reika has her social standing in Japan to consider. Staying in the other world for long periods would be difficult for her. But that power of hers is too precious to waste. Let’s raise her in Japan for a while!” Ami-chan decided.
”Understood. We’ll need to double-check the Slave of Love conditions too…” I said.
For the time being, we coordinated our stories for our Saturday meeting, deciding how to explain the nature of the pursuers.
”Reika seemed to have her own theories already. Let’s just play along with whatever she’s imagined!” Ami-chan chirped.
”Wait… specifically, how do you mean…?” I asked.
As our general policy took shape, I voiced a concern that had been gnawing at me.
”By the way, I’ve already exhausted the Water Splendor Flash… without that, we have no way to fight back if more pursuers show up, right?” I questioned.
”Mmm, that’s true, but to be honest, it’s rare for pursuers to be the type you can actually handle with that skill,” Ami-chan explained.
”Is that so? Ah… I think you mentioned something before. About ‘Existence Strength’ or some such…” I recalled.
Whether one could actually wound an opponent came down to a game of comparing their relative Existence Strengths. It seemed that in the previous encounters, the Water Splendor Flash’s potency had simply outweighed the physical durability of our foes.
”Exactly! And usually, the ones who are weak in combat have annoyingly high searching abilities. Specialized combat types probably won’t be able to track me easily, but if they ever do… well, we’ll just die,” Ami-chan said with a nonchalant shrug.
It was a grim reminder I had heard before. In such a moment, my only hope would be the activation of Ami-chan’s Sun Color Demonic Eye.
”In any case, it seems fate was on our side this time. A new Magical Girl was born, after all,” I remarked.
”Indeed! But being without the Water Splendor Flash is certainly unsettling. We’ve accumulated enough Ego Points, so for the rest of this stay in Japan, let’s rely entirely on teleportation!” Ami-chan suggested.
This meant moving exclusively between my workplace and my room. If I were intercepted at work, I would immediately teleport back home and flee to the other world. That was the plan we settled on.
Consequently, if this meant I couldn’t meet Reika on Saturday, then so be it. I figured an email would suffice to make her understand.
”Hm…?” I grunted.
My smartphone screen flickered to life. It was a message from Lady Reika.
’Sho-kyun heart. Thank you so much for today! So many things happened and made my heart race, but Reika will remember today’s events for the rest of her life! Oh, by the way, I’ll talk to my grandfather and have him handle my fiancé somehow! Ugh, I can’t believe I can’t see Sho-kyun until Saturday, I’m so lonely! I’ll come early on Saturday morning! I’ll make a lunch box for us! Goodnight then heart.’
”Who is this!?” I gasped.
Was this… Reika? Could the girl who wrote this possibly be the same person I knew?
”Maybe she finds it easier to say the embarrassing things in text that she can’t say out loud? Go on, send a reply, Sho-kyun!” Ami-chan teased.
I agonized over how to respond to such a long, emotive message, but in the end, I could only manage: ‘Goodnight. See you Saturday.’
I knew it felt cold. But a man of my age simply couldn’t bring himself to match the high-pitched energy of a schoolgirl in uniform.
”Oh dear, trying to act the cool part, are we? You could have at least added an emoji,” Ami-chan laughed.
”I’ll… I’ll try harder next time. But back to the topic… if we’re only going between the room and work, should I stop going out for groceries too?” I asked.
”Hmm… if you trust in my Sun Color Demonic Eye, you could go. But as we saw this time, it doesn’t always trigger when we want it to,” Ami-chan warned.
In essence, I could go out if I was willing to accept the risk. While I hadn’t encountered a pursuer during a shopping trip yet, being caught even once would likely mean my death.
This time, I had only survived because Reika happened to be caught in the fray with me. Had Ami-chan and I been trapped alone, it would have been checkmate.
”…I’ll stick to mail order this time. You can get almost anything cheaply online these days anyway,” I decided.
”If you know what you want, that’s no problem at all!” Ami-chan agreed.
It was true. Previously, I would wander through shops, picking up whatever caught my eye. But now, my needs were specific. With my Resource Points starting to show a healthy surplus, there was no need to hunt for bargains in person.
Besides, there were certain things better bought online anyway. Cosplay outfits, protection, and various toys…!
”I’m going to sleep then,” I said.
”Yes, goodnight,” Ami-chan replied.
I could only spend my days praying that the pursuers would remain blind to my location.
* * *
(At last, it is mine! The power to turn fantasy into reality!)
Reika had been in high spirits ever since that fateful day. Finally, the mystical power she had long yearned for had taken root within her very being.
As a price, she was to be thrust into a battle against demons emerging from the abyss. Yet, this power was forged for that very purpose. Though she was still unaccustomed to it, she intended to use her strength as a Magical Girl for the sake of this world… no, for Sho-kyun’s sake.
She would hear the full details on Saturday; until then, she had resolved not to transform. To move recklessly now might alert *them*. She had no desire to become a burden to him in such a manner.
(But a Magical Girl at my age…? Usually, one imagines much younger girls transforming…) Reika mused to herself.
Still, it was a power derived from Ami-chan. There was little point in trying to equate the fantasies of Japan with the realities of Ami-chan’s world.
(I shall submit my resignation to the Kendo club after the next match. Graduation is near anyway, and it was almost time for my retirement. It is merely happening a little sooner than expected,) Reika thought.
Then there was the matter of her grandfather. She needed him to annul the engagement.
She had broached the subject yesterday, but his reaction had been decidedly tepid.
’If you’re saying you’ve found another man you fancy, you’ll have to prove he’s more useful than your current fiancé. Besides, what’s this? There’s nothing actually wrong with the lad himself, is there? I can’t exactly cut off a man who hasn’t slipped up,’ her grandfather had said.
His logic was sound, in its own way.
Sho-kun was undoubtedly a superior man to that fiancé, but whether he would appear ‘useful’ in her grandfather’s eyes was an entirely different question.
’Kengo, was it? He’s a handsome enough fellow, and since you’re so fastidious, perhaps you’ve taken a dislike to his womanizing ways. But he’s still single. He’ll come to love only you in time. Give him a bit of slack. A man needs a little room to breathe, after all,’ her grandfather had added.
Those were his words. Her grandfather still viewed her as a chaste, refined young lady. If only he knew she had already surrendered her virtue to the man of her destiny.
And what face would he make, she wondered, if he knew she had become a Magical Girl, walking a path of eternal combat?
(However, the idea that a man should be given a little room to breathe… I shall take that as a valuable piece of advice,) Reika considered.
She had not the slightest intention of binding Sho-kun. In fact, to better face their destiny of battle, she was more than willing to cooperate if other women with the aptitude for becoming Magical Girls appeared.
She could not simply ignore such monsters, now that it was clear they possessed such dangerous power. Furthermore, that creature had involved her when she was still a mere civilian. Had she not possessed the necessary aptitude, she would surely be dead.
She felt a firm resolve to support Sho-kun as he stood against these creatures that threatened the innocent.
”Hey! Are you even listening…!? You’re ignoring me again…!” a sharp voice broke her reverie.
”……Eh?” Reika blinked.
Before she knew it, Shiraki-san was standing close by. It seemed she had been completely tuned out. Lately, the girl had become rather noisy.
”What were we speaking of?” Reika asked calmly.
”Forget it!” Shiraki-san snapped, stomping away. Reika wondered what on earth had gotten into her.
”Don’t mind her, Reika. She’s been acting strange lately,” one friend said.
”Honestly, though. Doesn’t she bring up Matagi-san’s name a bit too much?” another added.
”He’s Reika’s fiancé, not Shiraki’s boyfriend or anything,”
”They seem to be in contact, though. She’s a bit too excited about it,”
”Reika, are you okay? I mean, Shiraki is… well, a bit of a slut, isn’t she? Do you think she’s trying to steal Matagi-san from you?”
A memory surfaced… something Ami-chan had mentioned. About her fiancé being intimate with Shiraki-san in the locker room at night.
’There’s nothing actually wrong with the lad himself, is there?’
Her grandfather’s words echoed in her mind. Did laying hands on his fiancée’s classmate not count as a ‘slip up’? No, without evidence, speaking out would be a waste of breath.
As classes ended and she made her way toward the club room, a male student she had never spoken to before stopped her in the hallway.
”Forgive the intrusion. I’m… well, I’m Haruka’s boyfriend,” he said awkwardly.
”……? Ah, Shiraki-san’s,” Reika replied.
What business could Shiraki-san’s boyfriend possibly have with her?
”Lately, she won’t even talk to me… more than that, yesterday, she told me she wanted to break up,”
”Do you wish for my assistance in reconciling?” Reika asked politely.
”No, that’s not it. Since she suddenly wanted to end it, I… I pressed her for a reason. She said she’d found a boyfriend who’s already in the workforce. I had a hunch it might be Miyakuji’s fiancé…”
Ah… I see. Most unfortunately, the fact of her engagement was known throughout the academy. And the circumstances in which Shiraki-san could establish a connection with a working professional were limited. Given their shared connection to the Kendo club, her fiancé was the obvious suspect.
He was likely correct… though whether they were truly ‘dating’ was another matter. It was hard to imagine her fiancé actually committing to Shiraki-san. It was an engagement arranged by their parents, after all. To date his fiancée’s classmate would require a significant amount of resolve. Or a lack thereof.
…But then, that was merely Reika’s own perspective.
”…Thank you for this valuable information. I shall look into it, shall I?” Reika said.
”Yeah.”
When Reika entered the club room, Shiraki-san was in the middle of changing. No other members were present. Reika touched the smartphone in her pocket before immediately moving to confirm the situation with Shiraki-san.
”A moment of your time, if you please?” Reika began.
”What is it? You ignore me when I talk to you, and now this?” Shiraki-san huffed.
”I happened upon your boyfriend out there. It seems you’ve cast him aside, claiming to have found a working professional for a partner?”
”So? What’s that got to do with you, Reika?”
Now… Reika told herself not to lose sight of her objective. She had no desire to merely condemn the girl, nor did she wish to mend the broken relationship with the boy.
”Might I ask… are you perhaps seeing my fiancé, Matagi-san?”
”…………”
A look of pure, transparent triumph washed over Shiraki-san’s face. It was as if she were thinking, ‘Oh, you noticed? What should I do? Can I say it? Is it okay to brag?’
”Heh… well, you could certainly say Matagi-san and I have a very… healthy relationship,” Shiraki-san smirked.
Now it began. Reika had not spent years in the same circles as this girl for nothing. Even if she didn’t care for her, they were classmates and club members. She had analyzed Shiraki-san’s character quite thoroughly.
The girl was sexually uninhibited and took immense pride in it. She used her wealth of experience as a weapon to look down on others. She craved the feeling of superiority—the validation of being loved by men more than her peers. Her desire for recognition was voracious.
And she viewed men as little more than accessories to adorn herself. To Shiraki-san, a man like Matagi probably held the same value as a high-end designer handbag.
She would want him. She would want to possess him. And once he was ‘hers’, she would be dying to boast about it.
Conversely, if one attacked from that angle… Shiraki-san’s composure would be easily shattered.
”I say this only for your own sake, Shiraki-san… but Matagi-san is not serious about you. He would never dream of throwing away his position as my fiancé just to take up with a mere classmate,” Reika said with a pitying smile.
”Ah… hahahahaha! What’s that!? Are you serious!? Do you honestly think you’re that well-loved?” Shiraki-san shrieked.
An excellent reaction. At this rate, Reika mused, the girl’s tongue would soon become very loose indeed.
”At the very least, he is capable of correctly judging the value between myself and you,” Reika said, her voice remaining coolly detached.
”Ha! You really don’t know a thing, do you? Then let me tell you. I’ve already slept with Matagi-san… with Kengo-san, over and over again. Kengo-san is absolutely obsessed with me. It’s like you aren’t even in his line of sight, Reika!” Shiraki-san barked.
Reika had already known there was a physical connection, but it seemed it had not been a mere solitary encounter.
”Is that not simply your delusion? I shall say it once more: I find it hard to believe Matagi-san would neglect his position as my fiancé to pursue a mere classmate,” Reika replied.
”You think I’m lying? Fine… then I’ll show you the proof!” Shiraki-san snapped.
With those words, Shiraki-san pulled out her smartphone and thrust the screen toward Reika’s face.
”This is…” Reika began.
”That’s how it is! Like I said, Kengo-san isn’t looking at you anymore. Just the other day, he was so intense about it, he didn’t even use protection. That’s how much he’s committed to dating me!” Shiraki-san boasted.
The image displayed the fiancé and Shiraki-san entwined without a stitch of clothing between them. She scrolled triumphantly, revealing more photographs, some of which left absolutely no doubt as to the nature of their activity.
”Are these images a bit too stimulating for you, Reika? I mean, you’re a virgin, right? You probably can’t even imagine the sensation of being filled by the man you love!” Shiraki-san sneered.
This was… an unexpected harvest. Reika felt a surge of cold satisfaction; she was fortunate that Shiraki-san’s intellect was composed entirely of vanity and a desperate need for validation.
”…I shall tell you once more, but I do not believe Matagi-san considers himself to be in a relationship with you, Shiraki-san,” Reika stated calmly.
”Shut up! You’re just bitter because you can’t accept reality! He isn’t your Kengo-san anymore!” Shiraki-san retorted.
Reika felt a small, dark smile tugging at the corners of her mind. Poor Matagi-san. He had chosen the wrong woman to toy with.
Shiraki-san was the sort of person who could not help but brag about her possessions. Even an ‘accessory’ she merely wished to own would be paraded about as proof of her worth. Her intellect was far too shallow to grasp the consequences.
She was utterly beyond the reach of reason. Now, Reika’s primary concern was acquiring those images. Shiraki-san’s discarded boyfriend might prove useful for that.
”Just the other day, you know? He took me so forcefully with his… well, you know. He told me he loved me, that he was crazy about me, over and over! You wouldn’t understand, would you, Reika? The warmth of a man, the touch. The sweetness of him whispering love while his body moves!” Shiraki-san gloated.
”…I suppose I truly wouldn’t understand that. I am not feeling particularly well today… I shall excuse myself from club activities,” Reika said.
Without another word, she turned to leave the room. Her business there was finished. Shiraki-san’s voice trailed after her, calling out to her retreating back.
”Oh? Then I’ll be sure to tell him for you!”
Reika kept walking. She had managed to record the entire conversation on her own phone, but now she needed to find Shiraki-san’s boyfriend with haste.
—
Summary:
Sho-kun and Ami-chan decide to rely on teleportation to avoid lethal encounters with otherworldly pursuers. Meanwhile, Reika discovers her fiancé is cheating on her with her classmate Shiraki and begins a psychological interrogation to exploit the situation.
—
Character Insight:
Reika demonstrates a chilling level of calculated maturity. Rather than reacting with typical teenage heartbreak to her fiancé’s infidelity, she treats the situation as a tactical problem to be solved, showcasing the analytical mind that makes her a perfect ‘Magical Girl’ candidate. Sho-kun, conversely, continues to struggle with his self-image, balancing his ‘evil’ methods with a genuine concern for the safety of those he has entangled in his fate.
—
Behind the Scene:
The author uses the contrast between Sho-kun’s mundane worries (mail-order shopping) and Reika’s high-stakes social maneuvering to highlight the different ways their lives have been warped by the supernatural. The ‘Slave of Love’ mechanic is hinted to be more complex than a simple charm, requiring specific maintenance.
—
T/L:
”¹ [Magical Girl] A girl granted supernatural powers by an external entity, often with the cost of fighting dangerous monsters. ↩
² [Slave of Love] A specific condition or skill in this series’ system that likely dictates a high level of loyalty or obsession in the target. ↩
³ [Water Splendor Flash] An offensive skill used by Sho-kun that relies on ‘Existence Strength’ to damage enemies. ↩
⁴ [Sun Color Demonic Eye] A powerful defensive or precognitive ability possessed by Ami-chan. ↩
⁵ [Ego Point] A resource in the story’s system generated by satisfying personal desires or exerting dominance. ↩
⁶ [Resource Point] A generic currency or resource used within the system to purchase items or skills. ↩
Notes:
• Reika – A beautiful high school kendo student who is engaged to ‘The Handsome’ for what seems like familial or arranged reasons. She is a ‘guarded’ beauty. Sha has long black hair, intense eyes, and wearing kendo uniform.
• Ami – A palm-sized fairy-like being from a world separate from both Earth and the isekai realm. She has light blue hair tied in a ponytail, mischievous blue eyes, and tiny wings that flutter behind her. Her outfit consists of a provocative high-cut leotard and a short jacket that looks like a miniskirt from the back, leaving her legs bare. Despite her playful appearance, she is actively searching for a contractor who can protect her from dangerous pursuers in exchange for the powers she offers.
• Liliarette – The other Princess, who sacrificed her ability to walk and her sorcery talent to save her sister, Cleonora. She is imprisoned in the East Tower and is being used as a political and monetary pawn by Viorga. C-cup, true golden hair, waist-length hair, the fringe was a slightly blunt, hair on her left side was braided to the chest.
• Cleonora – The second princess. Have a yellow blonde hair. Usually styled as hairbun. D-cup.
• Kengo – The handsome man in the suit who’s cheating on his fiancée, Reika.
• Gin – A friend of Kiraurumi who craves excitement and is secretly a ‘lolita enthusiast’ complexed about her own tall stature. She sees the world-saving mission as a ‘plane ride over a river’ of boredom.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
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