LIGHTNOVELONLINE Chapter 87
February 13, 2012
Ker-chok! “Ugh… I should have cleaned it properly before using it.”
The apocalypse preparedness tent I bought with the money I earned from part-time work at a café was now filled with dust. Since I had fully declared the prevention of destruction, all the supplies I had buried underground here and there in Japan became my living essentials in Elysion.
Swish swish
I wriggled out of my sleeping bag and took off my pajamas. I then donned my underwear, which was carelessly left next to me, and put on the Elysion resident fashion… a white dress that reached my knees, courtesy of the sewing Magical Girl. With a quick adjustment of my belt, I was now presentable enough to go outside.
When I tightened my belt, it pulled up due to my chest, resembling a strange A-frame tent. So before tying the belt, I gently patted below my chest to leave enough room, ensuring I looked decent.
“Mm. Looks good.”
The design of this white dress, which dates back to the era of the Goddess of Start, was simple yet softer and more comfortable than any material. Hence, the Magical Girls residing in Elysion quietly named the blonde girl who sewed clothes down in the village under the lighthouse “Penelope” and asked for clothes.
“The name… sounds nice. If you ever need clothes, just let me know.”
Penelope was said to have created clothes before being sealed on this island, even before becoming a Magical Girl. The Magical Girls who received her clothes would often bring back candies, trinkets, or videos of movies and performances from outside the island.
With a satisfied grin, I crawled on my knees to the entrance of the tent and unzipped the semicircular doorway. A refreshing sea breeze greeted me from afar under a cloudless sky.
“Shirogane-san!”
The girls from the Freedom Magical Girl Alliance, aware that I camped near the training grounds, eagerly awaited my waking up since dawn.
“Huh? It’s Shirogane-san!”
“Hello!”
“Wow! The Queen is up!”
“Your Majesty! We’ve been training hard to become even better Magical Girls today!”
“Lee Hua, aren’t you tired from doing this every day? You just came back home recently.”
Tenrihwa had wrapped herself in lightning and dashed back within two hours when Elysion approached near Taiwan. I worried about whether her family was alright, but thankfully everything was okay.
As soon as she returned to her home located north of Taiwan, she declared:
[I will be a Magical Girl who can protect people in Elysion!]
[Alright, go ahead.]
Her mother, who carelessly packed a lunch and items for her, simply patted her back and smiled. Thus, after about four months of living in the USA, the reunion between daughter and mother ended within an hour when Tenrihwa declared she would move to the sky island.
“You should take the warp gate to travel, as I know you will worry inside.”
“My mom is a strong person.”
Tenrihwa proudly smiled, letting the white coat flap in the wind.
“My mom told me to grow into someone who does just and righteous things, so she supports me.”
“…Even so, you still have time until the battle against monsters, so please cherish your family.”
“Yes! Of course!”
Her radiant smile shined through the dark sky like a flash of lightning.
“Then I’ll go for the next training right away! Make sure to eat a delicious breakfast!”
“…….”
Including Tenrihwa, there were quite a few Magical Girls who had fully settled in Elysion with firm beliefs. Moreover, hundreds of Magical Girls, unable to depend on their complicated home situations, decided to live between Elysion and the Aerial Garden.
‘It was truly surprising that the entire Freedom Magical Girl Alliance decided to remain in Elysion.’
In the end, the USA completely gave up on persuading the Freedom Magical Girl Alliance and reached an agreement to install warp gates connected to Elysion and allow unlimited docking of the Sirius ship.
The President of Russia ultimately resigned. The new Defense Minister was appointed as a commander of the provisional government, who also permitted the warp gates and the entrance of the Sirius ship. They also finalized an agreement to place all government-approved Magical Girls under the protection of the Goddess.
Rumors of the monster invasion warning spread quietly more than expected. Most countries simply focused on interacting with the Magical Girl city.
‘I plan to soon squeeze the Goddess to declare domains in parts of the USA and Russia.’
To execute a spell observing the world in real-time like a kaleidoscope, the Goddess had to recover for a while from the exhaustion caused by the depletion of starlight. Although she was a Born 3-Star, she was merely a nominal Apostle, as the Goddess of Start had merely shown her to deceive. Thus, the total amount of starlight she could use was relatively small compared to her combat ability and authority.
‘If she fights for five minutes, she’ll struggle fiercely, but anything beyond that spells her defeat.’
This was my conclusion after several days of judgment intertwined with inverse causality.
Due to Ichika’s full bloom, the area around the Kansai region of Japan became her jurisdiction, so the area of Deception expanded to include Shanghai.
Now, if I could shield the eastern and western parts of the USA, as well as Moscow, it would mean establishing forward bases at all spots where Trial Monsters could emerge. Therefore, I planned to send the Goddess right to the USA and Russia once she stood up to declare her domains, and the Goddess simply agreed to my thoughts without uttering a word.
[It’s a bit… hard to encounter a Revelation Magical Girl. I’m sorry.]
Yuki felt awkward even talking to Sumire, who also held a similarly unfavorable image. However, after a few chats, she understood that Sumire had completely emerged from Fujimoto to protect the Magical Girls of her own accord.
Yet, she still honestly expressed her discomfort towards the Goddess, finding it difficult even to meet her. It was tricky to compare her to Sumire, who had changed due to my choices and retained memories of ignoring people.
Ding!
Just as I was thinking about Yuki, her message arrived on my phone.
‘Actually, Yuki is the only one who sends messages every day.’
[I submitted an application to join the public high school near my house… is this really okay with the apocalypse approaching?]
Numerous communication companies were rushing to offer free installation of satellite internet in Elysion, so I collaborated with the most suitable one, bringing wireless internet to Elysion. They requested me to emphasize that the internet laid in the Magical Girls’ city belonged to their company, so they set up signs with their logo in the plaza.
Tap tap
[I’m here to prevent that. I hope Yuki treasures her daily life.]
Transmission.
The read receipt appeared swiftly along with a single photo.
It was a picture of a teenage model posing in a female student uniform.
[Is this the school uniform for the school I’m applying to? Does it suit me?]
[Yuki looks cute, so anything suits her.]
Transmission.
By the way, I was curious about what the breakfast menu was that even the rather picky Lee Hua praised. I casually listened to Yuki’s concerns while heading towards the restaurant operated for free next to the plaza.
[…You seem to be responding casually while heading to eat.]
Sharp little one.
[No, I was really looking forward to it. When will you wear it and show me?]
[I haven’t even taken the entrance exam yet?]
Sometimes, if Yuki didn’t like an answer, she obsessively dug into it.
Didn’t I already know about the Japanese high school admission system?
Yet, it was unacceptable for me to respond to Yuki in such pointed terms, so I tried to answer as politely as possible.
[I’ll definitely go cheer for you on the day of the exam.]
Transmission.
The sign in front of the restaurant said that today’s chef was an Italian Magical Girl.
“Give me one more cornetto!”
“Make it a shake a lot!”
“I’ll give you some decorations I made later, so give me more sandwiches~”
The enormous restaurant buzzed with the sounds of hundreds of Magical Girls enjoying their breakfast.
‘Everyone seems so energized even at breakfast.’
As I glanced at the menu, it was a lavish selection featuring croissants that looked chewy like cornetto, sweet rusks, and a variety of sandwiches paired with drinks topped with cream and syrup.
On days when a Magical Girl with culinary abilities bloomed, such splendid menus were served.
“There’s a coffee machine too. Should I ask for a cup of Americano?”
Today’s chef was Italian, so they’d surely make delicious coffee.
I gulped as my mouth watered.
Ding!
[…Do I really have to come?]
[I’ll definitely go.]
I confidently responded to Yuki, who still seemed lacking in assurance, and entered the restaurant for breakfast. Right as I stepped in, I spent 15 minutes trying to calm down the Magical Girls greeting me loudly. During that time, it seemed like Sumire asked me some kind of question, and it turned out to be a request for permission to produce and sell merchandise resembling me, which I casually allowed her to do.
‘It’s not proper etiquette to bounce off each other when we all know everything as fellow otaku.’