Magic Girl Halley

(Bai Ziye)

I spent ages explaining.

He even took out his phone and showed Jolina his online profiles, his mouth getting dry from talking so much.

She nodded, resting her delicate chin on her hand.

"Oh, it's that Miluno... Hmm... I've heard of her... but you... you're not really... famous..."

Although she had tried to be as tactful as possible, being pointed this out was still more hurtful than she had imagined.

That's ridiculous. I'm a magical girl who occasionally shows up at the bottom of the power rankings, so why is my popularity so low? It's hard not to suspect that the Association is secretly sabotaging me and manipulating big data to suppress my popularity.

"Ahem, let's not talk about me for now... Did you hear any sounds or commands in your head?"

The succubus Jolina shook her head, looking puzzled, and replied, "No, I don't know. Could magical girls hear such things?"

Magical girls certainly wouldn't, but it seems that Monster are controlled by some kind of will.

I then asked, "Do you have any destructive urges, like wanting to strangle me or something...?"

"I'll strangle you? Why?"

She raised her eyebrows in confusion, then pressed her hand against her proud chest.

She replied, "Although your previous rejection left me feeling hopeless, as a magical girl, I naturally have a magnanimous heart! Besides, you're not wrong; in this world, ordinary people really can't become idols. The one who's truly wrong is me, stubbornly clinging to my delusions."

Her attitude was quite sincere, but you're not a magical girl at all!

I pressed my throbbing temples and asked, "Is there any way for you to undo the transformation?"

"Um..."

She pressed her hand against her chest and tried it out.

"... It doesn't seem to be working. Is it a side effect of the first transformation?"

He's Monster, after all.

It's normal that it can't be resolved.

"But don't worry, going out is still fine. I can do that."

Its bat wings gradually became transparent until they disappeared, its tail retracted into its tailbone, and even the horns on its forehead seemed to disappear...

Apart from her eyes, which glowed faintly in the dim light and didn't seem human, there was nothing else about her that suggested she was inhuman.

She also asked, "How is it?"

"How about what?"

"Do I have the potential to become a top idol, given my current appearance?"

"I'm a complete novice in this field; you should ask yourself, not me."

"You never disappoint when it comes to being a spoilsport."

She wanted me to praise her, but my answer clearly didn't suit her taste.

"Wait a minute. Since you already know about becoming a magical girl, I'll tell you one more secret."

She opened the filing cabinet in the corner of the office and took out a cardboard box from underneath.

The box looked heavy, but she didn't seem to be struggling, indicating that her Monsterification had enhanced her physical abilities.

Bang--

She tossed the box onto her desk and then used a utility knife to cut open the transparent tape sealing it.

Finally, she turned on the light and said, "Let's turn it on and see."

"What's this?"

"My most precious memory."

At the top of the box was a red and white idol outfit; perhaps due to its age, the white fabric had yellowed somewhat.

Below are small items such as artistic photos, concert photos, fan letters, and CDs.

Sirius once said that before the industry was brought down by magical girls, she, Jolina, was a well-known idol.

Her stage name is Halley.

That is, Halley's Comet.

The idol who once shone as a comet ultimately vanished just like a comet, his Radiance overshadowed by the stars.

Flipping through these poorly preserved old photos, I asked, "So, are you still going to use this name?"

"Of course! From today onwards, I am Magical Girl Halley! Colleague!"

I hesitated for a moment.

"Then, please take care of me, Miss Halley."

She then abruptly asked, "Miluno, how old were you before you transformed?"

"... secret."

"You seem to care about that? Although I'm already twenty-eight, my life as a magical girl has only just begun. If you don't mind, please allow me to call you senpai!"

Does this title have any meaning?

"It feels more like an idol."

"Actually, you really are..."

... Not a magical girl.

I can't bring myself to say it.

I'm not an indecisive person, but I really don't know how to make her understand... that she's actually Monster...

While I was worrying about this, she had already rolled up her sleeves with great enthusiasm.

"Come with me to the Association to register tomorrow! Before the auditions this weekend, it would be best if some Monster came along so I could fight in a debut battle to generate buzz."

Registering with the Association as Monster?

Want to fight other Monster?

"No, I don't really recommend you register, because the Association isn't trustworthy... In fact, I've never registered with the Association myself."

I couldn't leave this silly girl with SpiCa, so I tried to persuade her with my own experiences.

"Real?"

"Yes, you can check my status on the Association's website."

"Will I get paid after registering? I'm really short of money; I'm already drowning in debt just to keep this firm afloat."

A very realistic reason.

She truly is someone who persevered in pursuing her dreams despite the harsh realities of life...

"You should know that there are many ways to make money; you don't necessarily have to rely on the Association."

"For example?"

"Get sponsorships! In fact, I know a super-rich tycoon who would most likely be willing to invest in your idol's career."

Those alluring eyes blinked, and he asked, "Who?"

Sirius.

Contacting

This luxury hotel, situated in the heart of the city's financial district, is located on the south bank of the Chonghui River estuary. Those who frequent this place are all distinguished socialites...

"The Empire Hotel? No wonder it belongs to Sirius."

Compared to my awkwardness, Joe... Halley seemed quite at ease. Even in her current predicament, she had seen the view from above, so her perspective was naturally different from mine.

"Hello, we're here to find Tian--"

Before I could finish speaking at the front desk, a well-dressed waiter gestured for me to be quiet and handed me a black, gold-plated room key.

"There's no need to mention the guest's name, Miss Miluno; we already knew of your impending visit."

"Is that so?"

I was quite surprised to be recognized. Could it be that this handsome waiter at the front desk is a fan of mine...? Wait, what am I thinking?

After taking the room key and entering the elevator, Halley said, "Those people in the hotel lobby earlier, although they all looked well-dressed, at least half of them were paparazzi. They couldn't come up, so they waited in the lobby for Sirius to come down."

"Secretly filming, stalking, and monitoring magical girls... aren't they afraid of going to jail?"

"When the benefits are high enough, going to jail becomes a trivial matter. That world's number one idol is a walking gold mine... I never expected that you, a little magical girl with no fame, would know such an important person. Whether this matchmaking is successful or not, I will never forget your great kindness."

She was very excited, but she hid it well.

Is this the emotional management ability of a professional idol?

"We're here... This elevator is so fast..."

It's not only fast, but also very stable.

I thought I had accidentally cast a spell.

I found the presidential suite where Sirius was, and as soon as I placed the scanner on the doorknob, my vision was suddenly obscured by a blue filter...

Oh no, I can't breathe!