Bubbles, Part 2

(Sun Yao)

Yezi's analysis of the principles behind my magic was incredibly thorough. He sounded nothing like someone who usually claimed to have no interest in magical girls. It was as if he understood magic better than most people. I was starting to suspect he had secretly been working as a magical girl's... support staff.

"Then tell me, what exactly is going on with my magic?"

If my magic was not simply blowing bubbles, then what was it?

Faced with my repeated questions, Yezi merely shrugged helplessly.

"Dummy, if even you don't know, how am I supposed to figure it out? Magic can't be explained by science in the first place. But trust me, you'll definitely discover something in actual combat. When that happens, you'll be able to further expand how you use your magic... But what you should be thinking about now is how to fight using this kind of magic."

He sounded like someone speaking from experience.

"You're right..."

I set down the NS in my hand, picked up my wand, and dispelled the Magic Membrane around Yezi.

"So far, the only use I can think of is as a defensive measure. And it isn't particularly sturdy, either."

The bubbles I created were all soft and squishy, with absolutely no offensive power. What Yezi described—expanding a bubble inside a Monster's body—might not even be possible. Even if it worked, it would not do much damage. There was even less chance of wrapping only its head and brutally separating its head from its body...

If reality were a game, then I was completely built as support. Could this kind of magic really replace Miss Heat Haze and protect this area?

It was not as though I could just keep Monsters trapped until Miluno came to rescue me.

Besides, those Monsters from beyond the world were killing machines. They generally had the ability to break bubbles. If I kept casting bubbles, I might be the one whose magic ran dry first...

Unable to reach any conclusion, I scratched at the long hair that had fallen down my neck and made me itch. Then I leaned over the edge of the bed, poked my head out, and quietly pleaded with my good buddy on the air mattress. "Yezi, help me think of something else."

"Am I not thinking right now? We can see what's inside the bubble, which means it is not just air that can enter. Light can enter too. Otherwise, the bubbles would look as dark as Phase Wormholes to us. Light and air... what do those two have in common?"

Light. Air.

Both were things easily overlooked, yet everywhere.

"Is it because I subconsciously think they should be allowed through that the bubbles let them through? If I think something should be able to enter, can it enter?"

"Or maybe the membrane simply cannot block those things. I can only give you ideas. Only you know the specifics, since I'm not a magical girl myself... Forget it, it's getting late. Get some sleep."

As Yezi spoke, he yawned and lay back down.

"Since a Monster already appeared during the day, one won't appear at night. You can sleep peacefully—"

[Good evening, citizens! Sorry to disturb your sleep! The airship has detected a Phase Wormhole opening. It is expected to fully unfold in eight minutes. Residents of C3 and D3 Districts, please evacuate in an orderly manner. I repeat...]

The announcer was different from the one during the day, but the nature of the message was the same.

"Ye-Yezi! I..."

I had never expected actual combat to come so quickly. Though I instinctively changed into my Battle Dress, the thought of fighting a Monster with such feeble bubbles left my heart full of unease.

Yezi, who had just lain down, sat back up with a pained expression.

"You've got to be kidding. Two Monsters in one day? Dummy, you're still going, right? Be careful with everything. Nighttime is Miluno's active hours. You just need to hold the Monster back. I'm heading to the shelter first."

"Okay!"

Yezi entered the dedicated elevator leading to the shelter.

Residential buildings all had supporting underground shelters. Even without evacuating from D3 District, it was enough to stay away from the Phase Wormhole's lockdown zone. This was the choice most civilians made.

Thanks to the efforts of the Association and magical girls, the chance of External Invaders breaking through the lockdown was less than ten percent. Even if they did break through, magical girls from other districts would come to support them. The frequent casualties of the Past had become history, and magical girls were now the ones suffering the heaviest losses.

I left the apartment building, raised my head to search for the holographic marker left by the detection airship, then lowered my gaze to check the distance displayed on the road.

"1600... 1.6 kilometers? Looks like I need to run!"

It was near the northern C3 District, so it was a little far.

But not too far.

Even the weakest magical girl possessed physical abilities beyond human limits. I could currently run at a top speed of seventeen meters per second, according to the fitness test that afternoon. But that was not particularly fast. If it were Miss Miluno, she could probably run at several times that astonishing speed.

After around two minutes, I crossed the police barricade and arrived at the holographic marker's location: the rooftop of a thirteen-story building. The wormhole's blue ring glimmered with deep, distant light in the night sky, making it especially conspicuous.

I stood atop the building's central air-conditioning unit as a hexacopter drone flew before me. Its front panel, made up of several different cameras, filmed me directly, while the mechanical arm beneath it held an earpiece-style communicator.

Judging by its shape, it was meant for the left ear.

I took it and put it in my ear. The front of the earpiece had a structure like an expanding screw, firmly securing it inside my ear canal.

It was uncomfortable, but it was a necessary safeguard against losing it during battle.

"Hi, can Ceruno hear me?"

A familiar yet slightly different voice came through the earpiece.

"Uh, Sister Wei?"

"Uh, no, I'm Yin Lu. The person who received you during the day was my younger sister. If you don't mind, you can call me Sister Luer."

The sisters' voices were so alike.

But Miss Yin Wei, the younger sister, sounded more mature.

"Could it be that Sister Luer is my tactical officer?"

To improve magical girls' combat efficiency, magical girls were paired with one or more tactical advisors during battle. They used their knowledge, experience, and information unavailable on-site to offer tactical guidance for defeating Monsters.

For a magical girl fan, if working for the Association was a dream, then becoming a tactical officer was a lifelong aspiration...

But I had already surpassed the limits of my imagination and become a magical girl myself.

Among these tactical officers were quite a few former magical girls who had stopped their magical girl activities—my seniors now.

But Sister Luer denied my guess.

"No, I'm just a liaison. Your current combat advisor is not an Association tactical officer either. It's Miss Heat Haze, who cannot get out of bed due to her injuries!"

"Huh? Miss Heat Haze is graduating?!"

Among fans, stopping magical girl activities was known as graduating.

If Miss Heat Haze had really graduated because of what happened that afternoon, then I would never have to turn back for the rest of my life.

"No, no, no. She simply cannot get out of bed for a month and cannot engage in strenuous activity for three months. She wanted to find something to occupy herself with. When she heard a newcomer was coming to fill her vacancy, she voluntarily asked to guide you."

"...A combat advisor lying in a hospital bed?"

"Mm. Don't panic if you get hurt. As long as your head is fine, it's fine. I'm transferring the call to her now, but let me warn you first... We have not told her about your real identity yet."

"..."

In other words, Miss Heat Haze was guiding me without knowing who I was. If she found out I was the "fat otaku" who had put her in the hospital, how would she look at me? Would she still be willing to serve as my advisor?

"As for whether to tell her, when to tell her, and how to tell her, the Association believes that should be your own decision."

"...I understand."

Bzz—

The wormhole opened.

Some versions of Safari on iPhones may freeze. This site has been optimized for the issue. If you still encounter similar problems, try another browser first, such as Google Chrome, or switch back to the default font—yes, the font is the cause—and contact us. We will try to improve it!