The 30-Year-Old Magical Girl - Chapter 12
What was happening?
What did all of this mean?
Where was the logic in any of it?
You Dong—
Now transformed into Magical Girl Tidal—
stood frozen where she was.
It wasn’t that she couldn’t move.
She simply didn’t dare to.
She was too embarrassed.
And she had absolutely no idea how she was supposed to move.
From the moment she transformed…
To rushing into the factory…
To defeating Greatarm and saving You Xi…
Everything had happened in one continuous burst of adrenaline.
She’d been driven entirely by instinct.
By the desperate determination to save her niece.
In other words…
Until this very moment, she’d completely forgotten about herself.
Only now, after the battle was over and her emotions gradually settled…
Did she finally have the chance to realize what had happened to her own body.
The first thing she noticed…
Everything looked enormous.
It felt as though she’d become Alice wandering through Wonderland.
Then another horrifying realization struck her.
…Couldn’t this magical girl have worn something a little more ordinary?
The elaborate outfit she’d only ever seen in anime or displayed behind boutique shop windows…
Was now wrapped around her own body.
That single fact almost made her faint.
She slowly lowered her gaze.
Delicate ribbons.
An elegant Lolita dress.
Lace-trimmed over-the-knee stockings.
Black Mary Jane shoes.
…
She still hadn’t seen her transformed face.
Which meant…
Deep inside her subconscious…
She still believed all these adorable clothes were covering the body of a rugged, broad-shouldered man standing one hundred eighty centimeters tall and weighing eighty kilograms.
Just imagining the scene…
Made her soul go numb.
She refused to think about it any further.
Right now…
She didn’t have the courage to face anyone.
Least of all…
You Xi.
If she ever saw her uncle dressed like this…
Dear heavens…
If I’ve truly committed some terrible sin…
Please just strike me down already.
Her head remained perfectly still.
Her body refused to move.
Alone…
She silently endured the humiliation.
Along with the chilly breeze drifting beneath her skirt.
“…Why isn’t Grand Senpai responding?”
“Did we somehow offend her?”
“Maybe we weren’t respectful enough?”
“…Shh!”
“Keep your voices down!”
Frostail whispered hurriedly.
“This is completely normal.”
“Grand Senpai are all like this.”
“It’s called dignity.”
“Understand?”
“…”
Hearing the hushed conversation behind her…
Tidal nearly burst into tears.
She could clearly feel four pairs of sincere, burning eyes fixed directly on her back.
What’s going on…?
Old Lin?
Old Lin!
Don’t disappear now!
Help me!
She desperately cried for help inside her mind.
Unfortunately…
Even Old Lin had no explanation.
It wasn’t that he’d never contracted a First-Generation magical girl before.
It was simply…
That had happened over twenty years ago.
Compared to the primitive First-Generation Magical Protocol…
The Second Generation possessed a far higher baseline.
Every newly contracted magical girl immediately received a Soul Weapon perfectly suited to her personality and abilities.
The First Generation had been entirely different.
Everyone started with the exact same magic wand.
How far they could grow depended entirely upon themselves.
For that reason…
The First-Generation protocol had long since disappeared into history.
Yet now…
An authentic First-Generation magic wand had appeared once again.
Within only a few minutes, Old Lin had come up with two possible explanations.
Either…
Something had gone terribly wrong with You Dong’s Magical Protocol.
Or…
The long-forgotten legend of the Successor of Flowers…
Was actually real.
Neither theory could be confirmed.
Still…
Old Lin found himself believing the second possibility more and more.
After all…
It perfectly explained You Dong’s terrifying magical aptitude.
“…Everyone.”
Unable to endure the overwhelming attention any longer…
Tidal finally spoke.
She still lacked the courage to turn around.
Instead…
She slowly raised one hand beside her face.
“The Aberration has already been defeated.”
“Today’s mission is over.”
“You may all return.”
Please…
I’m begging you…
Leave already…
I can’t keep this act up much longer.
She screamed internally.
“…Huh?”
Violet Lightning blinked.
“We’re leaving already?”
“I still have so many questions for Grand Senpai.”
“What nonsense are you talking about?”
Frostail immediately smacked her shoulder.
“When Grand Senpai says dismiss…”
“We dismiss.”
“Let’s go.”
“Oh…”
“Something sticky got on my hand.”
Heron frowned.
Apparently, some slime from Violet Lightning had rubbed onto her during the earlier rescue.
Looking thoughtful…
She quietly reached toward Frostail’s emerald-green skirt.
“…Heron.”
Frostail slowly turned around.
“Did you just wipe your hand on my clothes?”
“Captain.”
Heron immediately pointed elsewhere.
“I saw Senpai Violet Lightning do it.”
“Huh?”
“What?”
“I didn’t—”
“…”
Watching the familiar chaos begin all over again…
Old Lin couldn’t help sighing.
After the noisy trio finally left…
Silence returned to the abandoned factory.
Old Lin climbed into the SUV and started the engine.
“You Xi.”
“Get in.”
“I’ll drive you home.”
“Please wait!”
After gathering her courage…
You Xi stepped across the silver path of moonlight dividing the factory floor.
She stopped directly behind Tidal.
Don’t come over…
For one terrifying moment…
Tidal almost ran away.
Fortunately…
She managed to stay perfectly still.
Calm down…
Think logically.
Even my own mother wouldn’t recognize me like this.
There’s no way You Xi could.
After repeating that thought to herself several times…
She finally turned around.
Her face remained perfectly calm.
Inside…
She was screaming.
The instant their eyes met…
Both of them froze.
Tidal:
Holy crap…
Why is You Xi almost a head taller than me now?!
You Xi:
What incredible presence…
Is this…
…the dignity of a true senior?
“G-Grand Senpai…”
“Tidal is fine.”
“O-Okay…”
“Senior Tidal…”
After nervously saying the name…
You Xi lowered her head.
She fidgeted awkwardly.
Pinching the hem of her skirt.
Picking absentmindedly at her fingernails.
Tidal blinked.
They’d lived together for five years.
She had never…
Ever…
Seen You Xi behave this shyly.
…Although…
It’s actually pretty adorable.
“If you have something to say…”
“Just say it.”
“I…”
“I really can?”
“Of course.”
“…Okay.”
Taking a deep breath…
You Xi bowed deeply.
“Thank you very much, Senior Tidal.”
“If you hadn’t arrived…”
“…I might have died.”
The word died made Tidal’s cheek twitch.
You silly girl…
Your uncle came here precisely to stop that from happening.
Naturally…
She couldn’t possibly say that aloud.
The truth—
That the mysterious Magical Girl Tidal was actually her thirty-year-old uncle—
Would only shatter everything You Xi admired.
Over the past five years…
She had always wanted to understand her niece.
Wanted to protect her.
Wanted to help.
Yet every heartfelt conversation somehow ended in another cold war.
After countless failures…
Tidal had gradually accepted one painful truth.
Perhaps…
She simply wasn’t a very good guardian.
If that’s the case…
Then at least…
As Tidal…
I won’t destroy You Xi’s dream.
At that moment…
She silently decided to keep her identity hidden forever.
“No need to thank me.”
“Protecting juniors…”
“…is simply a senior’s duty.”
“A-And…”
You Xi hesitated.
“Also?”
She took another deep breath.
Gathering every bit of courage she had…
She clasped both hands tightly before her chest.
Then shouted,
“S-Senior!”
“Please teach me!”
“I want to become stronger!”
“I want to become a magical girl who’s as beautiful…”
“…as elegant…”
“…and as cool as you!”
“…”
Tidal stood speechless.
Mistaking the silence for hesitation…
You Xi immediately launched into another enthusiastic barrage.
“Beautiful!”
“Cool!”
“Mysterious!”
“Elegant!”
“Refined!”
“Majestic!”
“Powerful!”
One compliment after another poured out of her mouth without stopping.
She looked like an excited fan meeting her greatest idol.
Watching her niece speak with such shining eyes…
Tidal slowly felt warmth spread through her chest.
Realistically…
There was no way You Xi would ever look at her real uncle with such admiration.
…Although…
If I really think about it…
Am I basically just using another appearance to fool her?
Then she shook her head.
A harmless lie isn’t really a lie.
I haven’t stolen anything.
I’m simply receiving…
…the rewards I’ve earned after spending five years trying to be both father and mother to her.
Thinking that…
She could barely suppress the corners of her mouth from curling upward.
“…Hmph.”
“A weak rookie like you…”
“…would probably get yourself killed if I simply ignored you.”
Determined to maintain the image of a cool senior in front of You Xi…
Tidal deliberately imitated the aloof tone of powerful anime characters.
“It can’t be helped.”
“Since I’ll be staying in Shangjing City for a while…”
“…I suppose I can spend a little time training you.”
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