Regarding the fact that my best friend is a magical girl

Chapter Twenty-Six: The Origin of the Witch

(Albinocotyledon)

"Miss Spica, I've brought the person over."

"Yin Lu, why don't you excuse yourself for a moment?"

"...Huh? Yes!"

Although she wasn't part of the Tactical Division, as a junior liaison officer, Lulu didn't dare disobey Spica's orders. She winked at me and Seruno, then turned and took the elevator downstairs.

"Come with me. Since you've fought against the witch, you should know some things... Who is this...?"

Spica stared blankly at the tablet in Seruno's hand for a moment.

"She is Kagerou, a magical girl who lives in the same area as us."

"So it was that child. I almost didn't recognize him after he took off his battle armor."

Spica nodded at Yang Yan and said, "She's your instructor now, right? She must have seen the battle just now. This operation was classified; there was no live broadcast, and the video recordings weren't uploaded. Similarly, you can't discuss it in public."

"We understand."

The fact that magical girls can turn into monsters should never be known to the world.

The treatment facility's building occupies a large area, so each floor is also quite spacious, but the areas are divided very finely. The closer you are to the center of the floor, the fewer people dressed as researchers there are, and the higher the level of authority required.

As the head of the Tactical Division, Spica clearly possesses the highest level of authority.

After passing the research labs of the Lava Monster and the Tiger Monster, she led us to a stop behind a large door.

I asked, "Is that strange man... is that witch inside right now?"

Spica nodded with her eyes closed.

"So, are she and Miss Spica acquaintances?"

Spica remained silent for a moment because of my question.

But after a moment, he replied, "Yes, after all, I was the one who sent them there... You all know about that failed expedition seven years ago, right?"

know.

I'm afraid almost everyone knows that.

Seven years ago, due to their arrogance, humanity lost thirty top-tier magical girls and has since lost the courage to actively probe "the other side," remaining passively defensive to this day.

Seruno thought about it.

"Is this witch 'Mermaid Princess' Namie Kawamura?"

“Yes, Poe’s magic is manipulating water. Seruno, you know a lot about magical girls.”

"My dream used to be to join the Tactical Division led by Miss Spica... but I know I'm not good enough. I'd be satisfied with working at the Association and becoming a collaborator like Miss Lulu, who can interact with magical girls."

This idiot always puts himself in a position that is too low.

Spica asked, "...What's it like to become a magical girl yourself?"

"I was excited at first, but after calming down, I realized I'm not qualified to be a magical girl."

"Trust in the choice of the Star Crystal, and don't have pointless self-doubt. Besides, your magical power comes from your belief. No one is born a warrior. Before becoming a magical girl, everyone is just an ordinary person."

Spica placed her hand on the identification device at the entrance, opening the final door to the core area.

But behind the door is a rather narrow and dark corridor.

The corridor walls are independent, movable panels that can be sealed off when necessary, presumably to prevent the containment of the "Mermaid Witch" inside from failing.

While I was observing the surroundings, Seruno continued with the same topic we had been discussing.

What did Miss Spica do before she became a magical girl?

“Me? I’m from Esperia. Twelve years ago, I was just an ordinary elementary school teacher.”

"Oh! What a coincidence! I lived there when I was a child! But you, who were the first to be chosen by the Star Crystal, can hardly be called ordinary, right?"

Miss Spica gave a wry smile and said, "I'm really just an ordinary girl. When I first went to fight as a magical girl, I was just a burden who relied on Sirius and the others in everything. I was called a 'strategist' because I was weak and needed to rely more on my brain to fight... Seruno, my magic is just as lacking in offensive power as yours."

"How are they the same? You can directly render that mermaid witch powerless!"

“When I arrived at the scene, she had already exhausted all means.”

Although Spica's words sound absurd, there are clues to them.

The original seven magical girls also had a default ranking. The rankings of some of the middle girls may be controversial, but Sirius in first place and Spica in seventh place are almost certain.

So perhaps Miss Spica's strength really isn't that great... Of course, that's just how I see her.

Seruno gave a wry smile.

"No way, isn't 'mental coverage' an exaggerated power?"

"The growth of a magical girl involves not only accumulating combat experience but also developing her own magic."

"Even if you say you want to develop it, I... um!"

Seruno suddenly fell silent.

We walked to the circular room at the end of the passage, where the bound and gagged Mermaid was placed on a high-tech medical bed. There were also some scanning devices around her, indicating that someone outside was constantly monitoring her condition.

This containment method was far more brutal than one might imagine.

"So this is... a prison."

"Pretty much. Without enough moisture, her destructive power is even weaker than that of a typical monster, and she has no ability to escape from here."

With alloy steel on both the top and bottom, and the entrance passage filled with traps, it was virtually impossible for the Mermaid Witch to escape.

"But should we just keep him locked up like this? Don't we need to send him food every day or something?"

Seruno asked this question.

“No need. Witches are more heterogeneous than other extraterrestrial invaders. They have no physiological needs whatsoever. They don’t need to eat, sleep, excrete, or even breathe. They rely solely on the star crystals within their bodies to provide the energy they need to survive…”

Ms. Spica's answer sounds quite alarming; it can't even be considered a living organism anymore.

What exactly did the magical girl who went to the other side experience?

"If we have to categorize them... witches are biological weapons in the truest sense."

Seruno cautiously approached to observe, and I also became extremely wary, but the Mermaid Witch on the bed remained completely still.

It is spiritual coverage.

Virgo's magic allows them to create the personality they desire to overwrite their enemy's mind.

Surprisingly, even after I deactivated the transformation, the "mental overlay" remained effective; it's truly terrifying magic.

Seruno asked, "Miss Spica, has she been brainwashed by the enemy? Even using the power of Virgo can't turn her back?"

"No, this isn't just brainwashing, it's a complete transformation... Even the Star Crystal has been corrupted, let alone the human spirit. There's no way to turn her back."

Spica's tone conveyed a sense of helplessness.

Through the screen, Yang Yan also looked at the motionless witch on the bed.

She asked, "What exactly happened to them on the other side?"

"do not know."

"Witch invasion...there's precedent for this, isn't there?"

"Including Pojang, there have been seven witches in the world so far. Currently, their combat abilities have been restricted, and they are being held in medical facilities in their respective cities."

"Seven have appeared, so there are probably twenty-three more to come," I said.

"Yes, next time you encounter a witch, please try to capture her alive if possible. If one person can't do it, call for backup... Although there's no way to do it now, I will definitely find a way to turn them back. Please."

Spica bowed its head to us.

Her emotions are richer than her cold exterior suggests.

As the initiator of that project seven years ago, she has been under unimaginable pressure for the past seven years, and her haggard appearance is probably related to this pressure.

"Leave it to me!"

Seruno patted her chest, looking quite confident.

"If it's just about capturing them alive, my abilities can also be of help!"

Chapter Twenty-Seven: Equipment Enhancement

(Albinocotyledon)

Although I left the Mermaid Witch's "cell," seeing those things still made me feel extremely heavy-hearted.

For magical girls, being a witch is a more tragic end than death...

"Miluno, how did you obtain your Star Crystal?"

With a sense of感慨 (gǎnkǎi, mixed feelings), Spica asked a question at this moment.

I don't want to answer that question.

I naturally refused to answer with a cold face.

Even if I answered seriously, I couldn't explain it clearly. I don't even know the identity of that mysterious magical girl, nor do I know who she wants me to protect.

Seruno chimed in, "Miss Miluno is always a stickler for secrecy, Miss Spica, please don't ask about this~"

As she spoke, she winked at me, like a small animal trying to please humans.

Spica then asked, "Is it secrecy, or is there simply no secret beneath your skin?"

No secrets?

It seems there's a hidden meaning in his words.

"What makes you say that, Miss Spica?"

"As I just said, a magical girl's strength increases as she develops her magic. This is actually the process of the Star Crystal adapting to us, the chosen ones, but you are clearly an exception."

"An exception? Just because I'm too strong?"