The 30-Year-Old Magical Girl - Chapter 11

Accompanying Old Lin were two other members of Violet Lightning’s squad.

“…Our training mission ended with two people getting taken out.”

The magical girl with short aqua-blue hair, dressed in a long Bavarian-style skirt, let out a weary sigh.

“Well…”

“The Second Ring has completely embarrassed itself today.”

She was Frostail, captain of the Second Ring squad.

“At this rate,” she continued, “today we lose to a C-Rank Aberration.”

“Tomorrow we’ll lose to a D-Rank.”

“And eventually…”

“When there’s no face left to lose…”

“The Second Ring might as well disband.”

She rubbed her forehead.

“We’ve completely disgraced ourselves.”

“…Captain.”

Standing beside her, another magical girl adjusted her round-framed glasses.

Her long chestnut hair was tied neatly into twin tails behind her back.

This was Heron.

“If we keep standing around talking…”

“…Senpai Violet Lightning is actually going to stop breathing.”

“Oh.”

“Right.”

The two immediately walked toward the writhing mound of Ragmen trapping Violet Lightning.

Blue-white flashes streaked through the darkness.

A sword.

A shield.

A longbow.

In only a few moments, the remaining Ragmen were completely wiped out.

“Waaah…”

As sunlight—or rather, moonlight—finally reached her again, Violet Lightning crawled out from beneath the pile.

“Captain!”

“You finally came to save me!”

Looking utterly pitiful, she rushed toward Frostail with tears in her eyes.

“Don’t come near me!”

Frostail immediately extended her shield, stopping Violet Lightning before she could get any closer.

“You idiot!”

“You stink!”

Her face was filled with open disgust.

“W-Wuwu…”

Rejected by her captain, Violet Lightning slowly turned toward Heron.

“…Heron?”

Heron smiled warmly.

Kindly.

Gently.

Then…

She silently drew an arrow upon her bow.

“Senpai Violet Lightning.”

“Please don’t come any closer.”

She smiled exactly the same as before.

“…Because you really do smell.”

“Wuwuu…”

Watching the entire exchange unfold…

Old Lin sighed helplessly.

He honestly couldn’t tell whether the three of them were incredibly close…

Or whether they secretly hated each other.

Dragging his round body forward, he waddled over to Raging Flame.

Gently tapping the Soul Gem on her chest…

He released her transformation.

The crimson magical outfit dissolved into countless particles of light.

You Xi returned to her ordinary appearance.

“It feels uncomfortable staying transformed for too long, doesn’t it?”

Old Lin’s voice became much gentler.

“Feeling a little better now?”

“…Yes.”

“Thank you.”

“Come on.”

“Let’s get in the car.”

“I’ll take you home so you can get some proper rest.”

Although her injuries disappeared after reverting to normal…

An overwhelming wave of exhaustion immediately washed over her.

She wanted nothing more than to collapse into bed.

Yet…

The last traces of her consciousness reminded her that there were still things she needed to do.

She still had to apologize to Violet Lightning.

And…

To the mysterious blue-haired magical girl who had saved her.

Thinking of that…

She instinctively looked toward the far side of the factory.

The little girl still stood there.

More than ten meters away.

She neither approached everyone…

Nor walked away.

She simply stood with her back toward them.

Silent.

Motionless.

Lost in thought.

The storm had finally passed.

Dark clouds slowly drifted apart.

Bright moonlight poured through the shattered roof.

A pale silver beam stretched across the ruined factory floor…

Separating You Xi and the blue-haired magical girl into what felt like two entirely different worlds.

On one side…

Old Lin.

You Xi.

And the endlessly bickering trio from the Second Ring.

On the other…

Only that lone figure dressed in blue.

Like a dream that should have vanished with dawn…

She remained frozen within the moonlight.

Beautiful.

Untouchable.

For a moment…

You Xi couldn’t bring herself to walk over.

The words of gratitude remained trapped inside her throat.

She feared that if she took even one step…

She might shatter that breathtaking moment.

“Hey!”

Frostail suddenly shouted.

“You two idiots!”

“Stop fooling around!”

“Look over there!”

The three magical girls immediately turned toward Tidal.

“…A magic wand?!”

Violet Lightning’s eyes widened.

“Seriously?!”

“No mistake.”

Heron adjusted her glasses.

Her expression immediately became solemn.

“That’s an authentic magic wand.”

“Not a Soul Weapon that merely resembles one.”

“It’s the genuine article.”

“Holy…”

Frostail’s expression changed instantly.

“It’s really a Grand Senpai!”

She hurriedly dismissed her own weapon.

Then she glared at the other two.

“What are you standing there for?!”

“Put your weapons away!”

“Don’t you know it’s incredibly rude to keep them drawn?”

Although they rarely saw their captain this flustered…

Neither Violet Lightning nor Heron hesitated.

Both immediately stored their weapons inside their Soul Gems.

The three girls then stood perfectly upright.

Like soldiers reporting to a superior officer.

The playful atmosphere from moments earlier vanished completely.

“Shangjing City.”

“Second Ring Operational Squad.”

“Certification Number: 13106.”

Frostail spoke proudly.

“I’m Captain Frostail.”

“I’m Violet Lightning.”

“I’m Heron.”

The three introduced themselves one after another.

Then they bowed deeply in perfect unison.

“Grand Senpai.”

“Thank you very much for coming to our rescue today.”

“…”

A brief silence followed.

Heron quietly glanced sideways at Frostail.

Her eyes seemed to ask—

Is that all?

Frostail’s face instantly turned bright red.

After struggling for several awkward seconds…

She finally forced out another sentence through clenched teeth.

“…It…”

“It’s a tremendous honor to meet you!”

The three bowed once again.

Even lower than before.

“…?”

Watching this strange ceremony, You Xi couldn’t help walking closer.

“V-Violet Lightning Senpai…”

She whispered,

“Is that little girl…”

“…really someone that incredible?”

“What?”

Violet Lightning nearly jumped.

“Little girl?”

“You should call her Grand Senpai!”

She glared fiercely.

“And don’t call me ‘Senpai’ while Grand Senpai is standing here!”

“It’s embarrassing!”

Her own face had already turned bright red.

Among magical girls…

Soul Weapons generally fell into two generations.

Raging Flame’s greatsword.

Violet Lightning’s spear.

Frostail’s sword and shield.

Heron’s longbow.

All of them belonged to the Second Generation.

After contracting with a Connector like Old Lin…

The Second-Generation Magical Protocol automatically created the Soul Weapon best suited to each magical girl’s personality and soul.

However…

Before that system existed…

Things had been very different.

Back then…

Every magical girl used exactly the same type of weapon.

A magic wand.

Only the decorations and colors differed from person to person.

“So…”

Violet Lightning explained quietly,

“Anyone wielding a magic wand…”

“…is a First-Generation magical girl.”

“And every one of them deserves to be respectfully addressed as…”

“…Grand Senpai.”

“…Understand?”

“I understand.”

You Xi nodded.

Then another question occurred to her.

“So…”

“How long ago were the First-Generation magical girls active?”

Exactly how grand was a Grand Senpai?

Looking toward the tiny blue-haired girl…

Who stood barely over one hundred forty centimeters tall…

You Xi found it difficult to imagine.

Violet Lightning answered softly.

“The Second-Generation Magical Protocol…”

“…has already been in use for twenty years.”

Her voice trembled slightly.

That simple sentence was enough.

You Xi immediately understood.

She herself had only become a magical girl a few days ago.

Yet the current generation of magical girls had already existed for twenty years.

Which meant…

Every First-Generation magical girl…

Had been fighting for more than twenty years.

The realization struck her speechless.

That meant…

The blue-haired girl standing quietly beneath the moonlight…

Had spent over two decades fighting Aberrations.

How many battles had she survived?

How many times had she stood at death’s door?

How many times had she silently protected this world…

Without anyone ever knowing?

Respect.

There was nothing else left inside You Xi’s heart.

Only admiration.

The blue-haired Grand Senpai hadn’t grown any taller.

Yet somehow…

She now seemed impossibly towering.

You Xi instinctively raised her eyes to look at her.

Old soldiers never die.

They simply fade into the background.

Without anyone saying a word…

The line of magical girls standing at attention quietly grew…

From three…

To four.