Could He Really...

"Th-that's too much, and you're not even using honorifics."

"My advice is that you take a look in the mirror, then curl up in a corner somewhere, so you can stop having unrealistic fantasies all day."

"You used honorifics, but somehow made it even worse."

Complaining, the homeroom teacher clutched her chest in indignation while watching the girl who'd finished the run fastest panting nearby. "Yaochuan Guang... you ran so fast."

She really had run the fastest, finishing almost half a lap ahead of the other students... and she'd definitely been holding back.

Although Yaochuan Guang was panting, her face wasn't red at all. She hadn't even broken a sweat.

Her disguise was much worse than Cong Yu's in that regard.

Magical girls weren't beings who could only use superhuman strength after transforming... the same went for monsters.

Once magic had filled their bodies, the power drawn from the world itself completely transformed them.

Greater strength, faster recovery, quicker reflexes, sharper memories, and keener five senses—not to mention a sixth sense.

Whether they were magical girls or monsters, transformed or not, they were already far removed from ordinary humans.

"Hah... hah..."

Pretending to pant, Yaochuan Guang straightened up and walked over. "My time was pretty good, right?"

It really was. So, were you going to join the sports meet?

Cong Yu wondered as he handed Yaochuan Guang a bottle of mineral water called "Forest Spring." She declined it, even though she wasn't thirsty at all.

Honestly, her disguise was terrible.

With Cong Yu and Yaochuan Guang watching, the petite homeroom teacher, sandwiched between them, continued recording the students' times.

At the same time, she asked Yaochuan Guang, "You're in such good shape. Do you want to join the sports meet?"

The question made Yaochuan Guang's intentions even more obvious. She immediately nodded. "Yeah, I want to!"

"..." Why did Yaochuan Guang want to join?

Cong Yu didn't quite understand. He silently listened to their conversation... What role was Yaochuan Guang playing in all this?

Well, there was no need to think about it.

Yaochuan Guang was just the ditzy one... She probably wanted to join the sports meet to make an impression on the people from the Magical Girl Headquarters.

One of the people from Headquarters was [Magical Girl—Azure Sky☆Qili], apparently a veteran magical girl.

The homeroom teacher was her fan. Yaochuan Guang probably was too...

Though Cong Yu didn't know much about her.

"..."

"Whew, it's so hot! You guys ran so fast."

Just then, a wheat-skinned girl who'd finished running came over, casually tugging the front of her shirt back and forth to cool herself down.

"Yaochuan was especially fast!"

She exclaimed, then noticed the mineral water Cong Yu was holding out. After a brief pause, she stared at him with shining eyes. "Wow, you're only this nice to me! Could it be...?"

Cong Yu: "..."

"I was just offering it since it was there. Take the water... then get lost."

Cong Yu's merciless words didn't make her back off. Instead, she sidled up with an expectant look and sat beside him. "Yaochuan was right! Cong Yu, you're such a tsundere!"

What the hell was this tsundere nonsense?

Cong Yu glanced at her, speechless, and twisted open the cap. "Sit properly. If you don't drink it, I will."

"..."

"Bzzzz—"

As Cong Yu was thinking this, the loudspeaker suddenly crackled.

Had monsters attacked again?

With that thought, he took a sip of water and looked toward the loudspeakers in the gymnasium. Then...

He nearly spat out the water in his mouth.

[Warning! Warning! Magic energy level: 451451! Monster confirmed! Approaching from the northeastern direction of Wind City. Current coordinates: 0721, 0721.]

[Confirmed: giant monster! The Great Barrier is about to open! Residents, remain in open areas to avoid casualties caused by earthquakes.]

[Repeat! Magic energy level: 451451! Monster confirmed...]

"!!!"

"Another monster? Huh..."

"Huh? Didn't one attack yesterday, too?"

"What's going on?"

Everyone in the gymnasium started talking. Then they quickly followed the announcement's instructions and made their way to the sports field.

Yaochuan Guang and Cong Yu followed the crowd, moving in an orderly fashion toward the open area. She asked, "Cong Yu, what's going on? Are monster attacks this frequent?"

Cong Yu could only shake his head.

Monsters weren't capable of launching consecutive attacks of their own volition. Unless someone was controlling them, something like this was impossible.

So, who was behind it? And what was their goal?

The monster had attacked from the southeast last time, and now one was coming from the northeast... Monsters attacking from two different directions.

"..." Cong Yu narrowed his eyes. He'd done something similar himself.

During the battle in North Capital, he'd controlled several monsters to attack from different directions. The goal had been...

To pinpoint the exact location of the Spirit Vein Nodule powering the Guardian Barrier.

Could the person attracting the monsters have the same goal?

Or... was it a coincidence? A smokescreen?

Cong Yu couldn't tell. As a student, he couldn't very well go and check for himself right now, but...

[Cong Yu: Red, sorry for the trouble, but go take a look.]

[Red: You mean the monster? Did you notice something?]

[Cong Yu: A lot of things. I'm counting on you... Mainly, check whether there are any monsters nearby, or anyone or anything that looks suspicious.]

[Cong Yu: Also, record the route this monster takes.]

[Red: Leave it to me, my lord Cong Yu.]

Author's Note

ヾ(≧▽≦*)o

Remnant Moon Madman here.

As the title says, this is a belated note about the book going on sale. I actually found out a few days ago. I'm very sorry I didn't let everyone know sooner.

This afternoon's chapter should already be a paid chapter.

There's no need to worry about me abandoning the book or ending it badly. The outline is already very complete, and the overall plot is clear.

This book's numbers are only average, but that doesn't affect my income, so there's no way I'd abandon it.

Because the contract is based on word count. (whispering)

I, Remnant Moon Madman, am more or less a veteran author... I've been scraping by on other sites, then got invited over here to run two books at once and earn some extra money.

I don't think I'm exactly a small-time author, but if I called myself a big-name author... that'd be downright ridiculous.

A middling author, verging on a flop, I suppose.

I can't move up or down; I'm stuck here.

Let's get back to the book going on sale.

I didn't expect the book to go on sale this early on Cat, so it happened while the story was still in a transitional phase. That was my mistake.

I'd expected that, by the time it went on sale at 300,000 words, Cong Yu would have made Yaochuan Guang and Lantian Zhu look bad for the first time, beating them until they were left gaping in shock. But that point is still a long way off.

So the number of first-day subscriptions will probably look pretty bad.

Regardless, I hope readers will subscribe to the book so I can give the site something to show for it.

Otherwise, if the numbers are bad and I'm still shamelessly cashing in, they might force me to cut the book short. (I'm just making that up; I don't know how it actually works.)

As for updates after it goes on sale... I still have another book being serialized on a different site, so all I can say is—

I'll do my best. (Certain)

Chapter 57: Could He Really...

There was a basic mathematical principle taught back in middle school: two intersecting lines determine a point.

Why bring that up all of a sudden?

It was simple...

Draw a ray along the direction the first monster traveled, extending it toward Wind City and dividing the city in two.

Then draw another ray along the route today's monster took, extending it toward Wind City... where it intersected yesterday's line.

"That gives us a point where the two lines meet."

Cong Yu explained as he sat in the nurse's office, drawing on a screenshot of a map on his phone. He showed the result to Red.

The point where the two hand-drawn, perfectly straight lines crossed... was undoubtedly "here."

Red leaned in to look. A peculiar scent, something like caramel, wafted from her and into Cong Yu's nose. "Wind City High School?"

That's right. Wind City High School.

Cong Yu nodded.

Red came to a conclusion and stared at Cong Yu. "So... the monsters are after you? Are they your fans?"

Cong Yu: "???"

"Thanks for thinking so highly of me."

Cong Yu replied irritably. He patted Red on the shoulder, allowing her to rub up against him like a kitten. "Monsters want nothing but magic... That's why they attack cities."

As he spoke, Cong Yu stroked Red's head as if petting a cat. Her crimson hair flowed through his fingers like a waterfall.

It was smooth and warm, and felt nice to the touch.

"Cities can be built and developed because they have enough Spirit Vein power to sustain the Great Barrier."

"The Spirit Vein node that Wind City relies on is right here, at Wind City High School, where we are now."

Cong Yu explained it simply to Red. "Spirit Veins can be devoured or seized, but only by a magical girl."

"Magic used 'head-on' can break the shackles around a Spirit Vein, as if they'd been claimed by someone... They can be shattered by overwhelming power."

"But having a magical girl take control is obviously more efficient, and much more likely to succeed. Hmm... let me give you an example."

Cong Yu explained, meeting Red's eyes as she lay across his lap. "Snow White Princess of North Capital has a fallen magical girl by her side... She's the key to controlling a shackle like this."

At that moment, Red seemed to realize something. She looked at Cong Yu suspiciously. "When you corrupted me, you weren't thinking about this too, were you?"

"..." Cong Yu guiltily looked away.

The answer was, in fact, yes—

He'd considered it at the time.

But he couldn't exactly admit that.

Only the Group Headquarters knew he was the "King." Within the 22nd Group, only that perverted Doctor had guessed a little.

"How could I...?"