The 30-Year-Old Magical Girl - Chapter 16

After parting ways with Chen Xi, Tidal and You Xi continued with the training session they had planned for the day.

They were currently inside one of the former Fifth Ring’s operational bases.

From the outside, it looked like nothing more than an ordinary six-story white office building located in the heart of the city.

The building housed over a hundred small rental offices occupied by every kind of business imaginable—foreign trade companies, e-commerce startups, software developers, design studios, livestream agencies, and countless other small enterprises.

It was a chaotic mix of people and professions.

Precisely because of that…

Nobody paid much attention to their neighbors.

No one questioned who came or went.

Situated near the center of the Fifth Ring, it also allowed magical girls to reach any nearby district in the shortest possible time.

It was the perfect operational base.

“Since there aren’t any active missions today…”

Tidal folded her arms.

“We’ll focus on theory instead.”

“Yes, Senior!”

You Xi nodded enthusiastically.

“…First.”

“Transform.”

Only after speaking did Tidal realize…

She had to tilt her head upward just to look You Xi in the eyes.

The thought felt both ridiculous…

And strangely amusing.

“No problem, Senior!”

You Xi pressed the Soul Gem against the center of her chest.

A burst of crimson light blossomed around her.

When the light faded…

Magical Girl Raging Flame stood there once more.

Her long crimson twin tails fluttered gently behind her.

“…Huh?”

“Wait…”

“My injury…”

“…It still isn’t healed?”

She looked down at her body in confusion.

Although her condition was far better than it had been that night…

And her previously broken right arm appeared completely normal…

The moment she tried moving it…

Her wrist remained completely powerless.

Even the usual lightness she experienced after transforming had disappeared.

“S-Senior…”

Her face immediately filled with worry.

“What do I do?”

“I can’t fight like this.”

“…Seriously?”

Tidal couldn’t help giving her a look.

She herself was still learning as she went.

Yet even she knew this should have been basic knowledge.

If Raging Flame didn’t understand something so fundamental…

How was she supposed to survive?

Ordinary office workers still received proper onboarding training.

Magical girls…

Whose jobs literally involved risking their lives…

Were simply being thrown onto the battlefield without anyone teaching them the basics?

The more Tidal thought about it…

The angrier she became.

She immediately turned toward the corner of the room.

Old Lin was lazily lying across the sofa with a magazine covering his face.

“Old Lin!”

“Present!”

The lucky cat immediately sprang upright, the magazine flying off his face.

“You people…”

Tidal frowned.

“What exactly are you doing?”

“How does Raging Flame not even know how to replenish her magical power?”

“She’s been running around injured this entire time.”

“How is that acceptable?”

“As expected of Commander!”

Old Lin instantly straightened his posture.

“This humble subordinate sincerely acknowledges his lack of ideological awareness and inadequate fulfillment of his duties.”

“Due to my negligence, such a low-level mistake occurred.”

“After receiving criticism and guidance from my superior, I have deeply reflected upon my shortcomings.”

“My formal self-criticism is as follows—”

“Enough.”

“Shut up.”

Tidal waved her hand impatiently.

The title Magic Commander…

Was naturally another identity Old Lin had fabricated for her.

Within the Magic Kingdom…

A Magic Commander was a special operative entrusted with highly confidential missions.

Their authority was immense.

Their identities were strictly classified.

Unless a superior personally appeared…

Nobody had the authority to verify their status.

It was an almost perfect disguise.

Especially when combined with Tidal’s unmistakable First-Generation magic wand.

No one questioned her identity.

“Here.”

Tidal handed Raging Flame a crystal no larger than a bottle cap.

Pure white light quietly glowed inside it.

“What is this?”

Raging Flame accepted it curiously.

“It’s the magic crystal left behind by Greatarm after we defeated it.”

She continued,

“Whether it’s a magical girl…”

“Or an Aberration…”

“The bodies we use in this world are ultimately made from magical power.”

“Fundamentally…”

“There’s no difference.”

“…Huh?”

Raging Flame blinked.

Her eyes widened.

“No difference?”

“You mean…”

“We’re the same as Aberrations?”

“Yes.”

Tidal nodded calmly.

“The escaped magical energy from the Magic Kingdom is twisted by the laws of this world.”

“Eventually…”

“It takes physical form.”

“Those forms become Aberrations.”

“As for magical girls…”

“Our transformed bodies are also created from that same magical energy.”

“We simply shape it differently.”

“In terms of origin…”

“We’re exactly the same.”

“…There have been magical girls who eventually became Aberrations.”

Old Lin quietly added,

“So besides fighting…”

“You should also pay attention to your mental state.”

“…Does that mean…”

“We could become monsters too?”

Raging Flame’s shoulders visibly drooped.

Her expression darkened.

For an ordinary teenage girl…

Learning that she wasn’t fundamentally different from the monsters she fought…

Wasn’t easy to accept.

Seeing the disappointment on her niece’s face…

Tidal’s expression softened.

“You don’t need to dwell on that.”

She spoke gently.

“Raging Flame.”

“Never forget this.”

“Power…”

“…is only power.”

“We humans are all made of flesh and blood.”

“Yet some people are kind.”

“Others are cruel.”

“Some are noble.”

“Others are despicable.”

She looked directly into Raging Flame’s eyes.

“So tell me.”

“What kind of person do you want to become?”

“You already answered that question…”

“…the moment you made your wish and chose to become a magical girl.”

“When endless battles leave you exhausted…”

“When you lose your way…”

“Remember that moment.”

“Remember how you felt.”

“As long as that brave…”

“…pure heart inside you never changes…”

“As long as it never rots…”

“…never fades…”

“…we will never become monsters.”

Those words…

Were guidance from one magical girl to another.

But at the same time…

They were also the heartfelt reassurance of an uncle speaking to his beloved niece.

“…Senior…”

Raging Flame’s eyes sparkled.

“That was…”

“…so cool.”

The encouragement instantly restored her spirits.

“…A-Anyway.”

Feeling slightly embarrassed beneath that gaze full of admiration…

Tidal awkwardly cleared her throat.

“Don’t let something like this bother you.”

“Understood?”

“N-Now…”

“Back to today’s lesson.”

“Since magical girls and Aberrations share the same origin…”

“The magic crystals left behind after defeating them can be absorbed.”

“They replenish magical power.”

“Repair injuries.”

“And can even be used to fuel powerful spells.”

“The essence of injury for a magical girl…”

“…is simply the loss of magical energy composing her body.”

“Normally…”

“That energy slowly recovers by absorbing ambient magic from the environment.”

“But magic crystals…”

“…are different.”

“They’re basically healing potions.”

“Fast.”

“Convenient.”

“And extremely effective.”

“I understand!”

Raging Flame nodded confidently.

“So…”

“I just use the monster’s magic…”

“…to repair my own body.”

Having reached her conclusion…

She immediately tossed the crystal into her mouth.

“…Idiot!”

Tidal’s expression changed instantly.

“That’s not food!”