Regarding the fact that my best friend is a magical girl

Vega possesses heavy armor and countless enormous lances.

and I?

All I can do is blow bubbles.

I tried to stand up, with my last bit of strength.

The water level of the scenic lake is dropping, and fish and shrimp can be vaguely seen at the bottom of the lake. The tactician's operation was effective, but seven long, narrow water spears have gathered around the strange man.

She no longer needs any ammunition depots.

"Where is the power to protect something?"

I staggered over to Miluno, raised the last bubble, and gathered enough power. The shark monster flicked its tail, and a water gun shot out with an overwhelming force.

"Don't touch her..."

boom!

A loud crash was heard, but the bubbles remained.

"This is……"

The bubble, which even a regular water gun couldn't stop, blocked the monster's full-force attack. Unlike the previous bubble that would be squeezed and deformed, this bubble was like ordinary tempered glass, remaining completely still even after being attacked, and the water gun couldn't leave any mark on it.

This isn't a water bubble; it's a glass cover.

What caused the properties of the bubbles to change?

The shark monster was also surprised when her first attack failed. The situation, which she thought was in the bag, had changed, and she couldn't help but feel impatient. She raised the remaining six water spears and approached step by step, throwing a second water gun as she went.

boom--

Water splashed everywhere, but not a single drop entered my bubble.

"Your magic can not only 'allow' something into a bubble, but also 'reject' something from entering it. When you strongly reject something, your magic will respond to you... Seruno, your magic requires a heart of belief. When you are confident enough, your magic will respond to you!"

As expected of a sage known as the Master of Schemes, unlike Miss Yangyan who couldn't understand no matter how I explained, Virgo seemed to have already understood my magic, and even figured it out more clearly than I did.

But what about the power of "rejection"?

No, I wanted to protect Miss Miluno... This is my... power of "protection"!

Chapter Twenty-Four: Virgo

(Sun Yao)

The fourth water spear struck the bubble, producing a violent impact... and the sound of glass shattering.

My depleted magic power finally gave way, and the feeling of magic exhaustion made it hard for me to breathe.

"Phew, ha... I discovered this power too late."

The strange woman had reached the shore. Her continuous attacks were proving ineffective, which made her anxious. After all, the lake had been drained, and her last resort was her three water spears.

But it seems I reached my limit first...

The bursting bubble gave her hope. She grinned, revealing her sharp, saw-like teeth, and the fifth water gun shot out.

It shattered and crashed.

The bubble that refused everything in its attempt to protect itself was eventually burst.

Is my determination really that weak?

The relentless water gun attack looked like it was about to pierce both Miluno and me...

boom!

Like the clear sound of something hitting metal, a huge "shield" stood before me, with shocking bulges on it... those were from the other end, created by a water gun.

"Sorry to keep you waiting, newbie!"

The one holding the shield is a girl with long brown hair. She is dressed in battle gear that looks like a high school uniform, and she even wears leather shoes and bubble socks.

I know her.

She is the magical girl in charge of this C4 area, and her arrival now is already seriously late.

She turned her back to me, wiped her nose, and looked at the deformed metal shield in her hand.

"Well, this is also my first time fighting a monster with the ability to evolve. This is really exaggerated destructive power. Even my shield almost couldn't stop it. You actually blocked four shots. That's amazing."

The fourth shot was completely unblockable, and ultimately...

"If it weren't for me... Miluno wouldn't have..."

Virgo's soothing voice could be heard through the headphones.

"Don't blame yourself too much, Seruno. You did a great job. The task of holding them back is complete. You can leave with Miluno now."

"……Yes."

I picked up Milno from the ground and then greeted the magical girl who had just arrived.

"Then I'll leave the rest to you, Miss Metal."

You know me?

The magical girl with the name of metal replied energetically, "Then leave the rest to me! This area is my hunting ground, after all!"

Unexpectedly, the female monster took this opportunity to launch an attack. While firing the sixth water spear in this direction, she also grabbed the last water gun and lunged at Metal, who was causing trouble, with a desperate attitude.

"careful!"

Metal threw his shield at me and Miss Milno, while he himself fought the monster in close combat with his bare hands.

clang--!

The water gun collided with the metal shield, producing a loud sound like a bell.

Looking back, the shield was pierced, but the trajectory of the bullet was also deflected.

Looking again at the two locked in combat, the water gun in the monster's hand had clearly transformed into two liquid daggers, and Metal was in a passive defensive posture...

I have to return her shield to her.

But I can't lift it, and I can't throw it back... Wait, there are other weapons here.

I looked at the dark gold broadsword next to Miluno—although I didn't know its composition, it should also be made of metal.

"Miss Metal! Please use this!"

I threw the pair of swords at Metal.

"Oh, thank you!"

Milno's short sword is quite simple; I don't recall it having any special abilities, so it should be fine to use.

"what!"

With a flick of her wrist, Metal transformed the short sword in her hand into a longer, thinner rapier. She unleashed a barrage of thrusts, striking the female monster's silver scales like a storm. Already at her limit, she was powerless to retaliate, her body riddled with bloody holes.

Metal is very strong, after all, she is a magical girl who can fight with a pure metal shield. The female monster is a mage type who can project firepower from a distance. She is at a disadvantage in terms of physical strength and had no choice but to fight on land when she ran out of ammunition and food. Therefore, she is no match for her at all.

hum-

The low-frequency vibrations of a wormhole opening.

"I am coming."

The person who fell through the wormhole was Virgo, who came from headquarters.

The legendary magical girl.

She was wrapped tightly in a shimmering, gauze-like silk scarf, covering every inch of her skin, including her cheeks, but she wore no other clothes, not even her bare feet. Her bare feet stood on the riverbank, a sight that evoked pity and regret.

Upon seeing Virgo, the female monster let out a sharp roar, abandoning her previous strategy of "prioritizing the weakest target." She shoved Metal aside and turned to pounce on the newly arrived Virgo—the magical girl Virgo.

However, as one of the original magical girls, even as a wise strategist, she possesses quite sophisticated combat skills.

"I'm sorry, so you still hate me after all?"

Virgo raised her hand, and two silk scarves shot out from her back, wrapping around the female monster's arms.

"But it's alright now, I'll take you home."

Come back home?

Virgos are hard to understand.

"Hey, are you guys alright?"

“I’m fine…but Miluno…”

Metall, now freed up by Virgo's arrival, turned to check on Miluno and me.

"It's not a big problem. It looks scary, but there are no serious injuries. It's just superficial wounds. We magical girls who are good at close combat are much stronger than you... while she belongs to the exceptionally strong category."

She examined Miluno's injuries and began to clean them with her magic—she sucked out the chains and shards of daggers embedded in her flesh.

"And you? Aren't you hurt?"

"I'm fine...if I don't have a concussion."

Apart from being hit on the head twice by a blunted water gun, I was not injured.

I've always been protected, by Kagerou, by Milno...

But they all collapsed before my eyes.

The shark-like female monster had been knocked to the ground by Virgo, her water blade long gone, but the seemingly light silk scarf possessed both strength and agility.

But that was just a side effect.

Virgo's true magic, as it is known, is "spiritual overlay."

The silk scarf continued to wrap around her, starting from her arms and gradually spreading to her whole body, as if it were wrapped around herself.

In the end, not even her tail was left behind. The female monster was wrapped up like a mummy by Virgo. In this state, she had become Virgo's puppet and had completely lost control of her body.

Soon, even our thoughts will be taken away, won't they?

Even among magical girls, it is a rather heretical form of magic, and it is even more suitable as a villain.

But she is indeed a magical girl revered as a hero.