Once the Aberrant Beast had been defeated and the danger in the district had been confirmed eliminated, the magical girls' work was over. Next came the time for the peace officers under the Civil Governance Institute to maintain order in the neighborhood, organize specialists to rebuild damaged structures, and supervise the residents' return.
After reporting the successful subjugation to headquarters, Cornflower and Nina left the scene and set off back toward camp.
Each of them held a large candied hawthorn skewer, with all kinds of strange little ornaments hanging from their heads. The residents of the district had given them these things; the people of the Magic Kingdom were always especially enthusiastic toward magical girls.
On the way back, both of them were somewhat silent.
Nina occasionally took a small bite from her candied hawthorn, her face still showing lingering fear. She seemed to remain trapped in the danger from before, unable to recover her senses.
Although she had used magic to restore her body and repair her outfit after leaving the battle, the sensation of her entire body seeming to be submerged in water—even of herself nearly melting into a puddle—was still far too terrifying for a child her age.
At that moment, her body had escaped, but her soul was still lost in those memories.
As for Cornflower, having grown up as a boy, she felt a little lingering fear as well, but only that much. Rather than worry or be afraid, she preferred to think about the mistakes she had made in that battle—whether she had underestimated the enemy at the start, whether she had given the Aberrant Beast too many opportunities afterward, and whether she could have done better if she had another chance.
Besides that, another reason she had remained silent was the somewhat awkward