Chapter 4: V1C4 – Learning the Ropes

After the crazy day that was nearly dying, and then becoming a [Magical Girl], I fell asleep soundly. The next day, I woke up to Yoru's greeting. I don't feel as lonely in this small apartment anymore...a little.

"Good morning Yoru."

"Morning Akito. Aren't you going to use [Transform]?"

"No, I mean I'm more used to being, well, me. I also don't have many clothes that fit my other form well."

"I see. Well, you can't use your [Magical Girl] powers in that form you know."

"Ah, so it's something like that?"

"Yep, you can use that form for your daily life but know that Aki is where the power's at."

"Got it, got it. So, do you want breakfast or something? Or do [Focals] just always hang around their [Magical Girls]."

"The latter. We don't need food to operate either."

"That's nice. What exactly are you anyway?"

"No comment."

"C'mon...we're partners now!"

"No comment."

"Is that so...then tell me what you can do at least."

"Well let's see, I can hide pretty well, detect [Curses], awaken minds, create barriers, and manipulate spacetime to an extent."

Yoru said so nonchalantly while floating in the air behind me.

"HUH!? You can manipulate spacetime?"

"Yeah, how do you think that fatal wound yesterday got fixed?"

"Oh...I see."

"Also, that female form of yours is actually you from another parallel universe."

"What?"

"Yeah, you know about the concept of different choices breaking off the timeline into different, separate timelines for each option right?"

"No..."

"Well, it's like that but I connected each form together and made it so that you could manipulate it. Pretty rad right?"

"Rad? What have you been studying, the pop culture of a couple of decades ago?"

"I'm earnestly trying to learn Earthen culture, cut me some slack."

"Good, now that's a used idiom. Anyways, I'm not going to understand how the process of [Transform] works so I'll just leave it aside for now."

"You don't have the ambition...didn't you say you still had things you wanted to learn on your death bed?"

"Hmm, I said something like that? Well, I was probably talking about knowing the answer then."

"The answer?"

"Yes, the answer to the question I've always had since I was little."

"Hmm, what kind of question is it? I enjoy these types of things so try me."

"What is the purpose of my life?"

"Why is the young you thinking of such philosophical things!? Well, the answer is clearly to reproduce which is the only goal of all lifeforms. Other than that, a more human answer would be to find your own purpose or pursue happiness or something like that."

"Yes, that is a great answer but I need to find my own answer. My parents always told me to 'live my life freely.' I wonder what that means...I think I'm living pretty free right now. I'm self-sufficient and do what I want, not even the government is going to tie me down despite being a [Magical Girl]."

"Hm...well I'm not going to speculate on the subjective. It sounds troublesome and like you're just dawdling on it anyways. Anyways, are you done?"

This entire conversation I had with Yoru allowed me to make and finish a quick breakfast of the recently bought groceries. I risked my life for these, literally.

"Yep, done. I'm worried about digestion but with the power of being a [Magical Girl] I'm sure it'll be fine."

"Certainly, with the enhancements made to your body, all systems including digestion have improved. The most notable change would be your resistance to aging so you'll be in service a bit longer."

"Is that so, well that's encouraging."

"Now now, [Transform] so we can begin killing some [Curses]. Or else, what point would there be to saving you?"

"That's a blunt way to put it. [Transform]."

The same light as yesterday covered and blasted from my body. I then became [Magical Girl Aki], the black-haired beauty. 

"Every time I see it, it's amazing. Both me and the transformation."

"That sounds pretty conceited but yes yes, marvel at my magnificent power."

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Apparently, there's a cooldown for [Transform] but it's only a few minutes so switching back and forth shouldn't be too much of an issue. There aren't any negative side effects for staying as one or the other too long either. The only thing I can think of is having all the [Magical Girl] powers on the Aki side so the Akito side is defenseless.

"Let's go."

I headed outside with Yoru in the broad summer daylight. It would be summer vacation right now if the school year had played out fully but it got canceled halfway through the second term. I don't have anyone I'm particularly close to in that school though...except...except who? Who am I thinking of? No one right? I haven't been particularly close to anyone at that school...yeah yeah that sounds right. Anyways, I won't miss school that much.

"Yoru, you detecting any [Curses] in this here Tokyo?"

"There should be one that away but..it's quite far from here."

"Can you teleport there or something?"

"It only applies to me and in that case only short-range teleportation is possible."

"Oh, you can actually teleport...anyways let's just go to the [Curse]. I'm sure that running with my new physical enhancements should make this take faster than expected."

"A reasonable assumption."

I began running at full speed while putting my internal power into enhancing my leg muscles. Yoru followed close behind by flying, I guess for this speed he doesn't need teleportation.

"This is insane, I'm definitely at the level or above the level of humanity's greatest sprinters..."

"Such is the power of [Magical Girls]."

I continued running until our destination was reached which took a few couple of minutes. 

---

"Yoru we've arrived. Where's the [Curse]?"

To be honest, I'm still scared but, I'm also different now. I'm no longer powerless like the time I got destroyed by that bear. My physical abilities surpass humanity's strongest and I'm armed with a weapon and mysterious ability, what could go wrong?

"It's over there."

Yoru pointed its paw to the nearby space in the air and a crack started forming. After [First Contact] happened, the cracks in the sky mostly sealed up. Now, they only appear sometimes but when they do, a lot more or more powerful [Curses] appear depending on size. I don't know if I can handle multiple but, I'll try my best for Yoru who saved my life.

"Grrrgghh..."

I heard a low growl coming from the open spacial distortion. It first put two of its limbs out and then the other two gradually. A [Curse] in the form of a leopard huh...smaller than what I expected but I won't let my guard down! Let's fight for the first time!

I manifested my pearly cutlass and readied it against the leopard. I researched this, but the cutlass is a weapon that was also used frequently for its ease of use so even someone like me should be fine, especially with enhanced muscles.

"Heeyaa!"

I slashed at the leopard...but completely missed due to being too far away. The [Curse] didn't lose that chance.

"Guuuoo!"

It pounced in the created opening as my cutlass tipped downward. I reflexively let the cutlass go and redied my fist as it aimed to scratch my face.

*smack*

I landed a clean hit to the leopard's face, I guess it wasn't expecting me to drop my weapon. The leopard fell a distance away from me as I readied the cutlass again. My fists are good but I should practice with a weapon, right? Anyways, the reason I'm able to respond so well to attacks is that my sensory abilities have also been enhanced. If I flow my internal power into my eyes, I can see better. If I channel it into my ears, I can hear better. If I channel it to my throat, my voice becomes louder. The physical enhancement that [Magical Girls] possess is very useful indeed! 

"Grrgghh..."

The leopard watched me dazedly, readying to pounce again when I show an opening. But, this time I won't misjudge my distance! I rushed in with the cutlass and thrusted horizontally. Cutlasses (mine) aren't meant for stabbing but that wasn't what I was going for! The leopard reflexively jumped out of the blade's trajectory but then, I curved the blade to the side and slashed the leopard's stomach directly. It let out a yelp of pain and I pushed my foot into an advantageous position. Time to continue the attack I have up. I wound up my arm and shifted my cutlass upwards slightly. 

"Huaa!"

I swung the blade powerfully which the leopard challenged with its own claws and teeth. With a clang, they repelled each other leaving a small cut on the leopard's face near the mouth. I readied the sword again...sparring sure is more tiring than I expected it to be. Utilizing the time from the previous attack, I accelerated forward by putting power into my legs. I next put power into my right arm which held the cutlass the whole time.

"Sei!!!"

I threw the curved blade as hard as I could, it landed cleanly into the leopard's back. But, that's not all because the enhanced me was also rushing towards its full speed. While distracted by the pain caused by my thrown cutlass, I grabbed its head and body, shoving it to the ground forcefully. Taking time to grab the cutlass from the leopard's back, I reorientated it to the neck and thrust hard into it. Huh? It's still moving...not dead yet...?

"Aki, the [Curses] don't work like normal organisms. You need to damage the vessel enough or pierce the [Core]."

"[Core]? I think I can imagine what your talking about."

"Yeah, it's a stone-like mass of energy hidden someplace in the [Curse]'s body. In that position though, damaging it until the energy disperses seems like the better strategy since it has a small [Core]."

When a [Curse] dies, it just disperses into the atmosphere like massless dust. All that remains theoretically should be the [Core] as long as it wasn't too vaporized.

"Then...!"

I push the cutlass harder into varying points of the leopard while it shrieked and struggled. It finally dispersed after taking enough damage and energy poured out.

"Whew..."

I wiped the sweat off my forehead and unsummoned my cutlass. A messy job but the first one I did by myself. I pick up the [Core] of my prey, it's colorless and bland...well of course the first one won't be amazing. Anyways, I should think of a name for this cutlass...how about the [Annihilator], nope too extreme...the [Realizer] yep let's go with that. My inner chuunibyou is peaking out...

"Wait, Aki."

"Hm? What is it Yoru?"

"I think I just found out what special ability you awoke to."

"Already!?"

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