Spreading Darkness
(Ceruno)
"Eeya--!!"
The waiter pushing the food cart screamed.
But she didn't close the door when she came in, and the sound of her rushing out attracted the attention of the other waiters.
Before long, several heads were peeking out from outside the door, and without exception, they were all cute girls.
"Sorry I scared you! But it's okay! Look! She's still alive!"
I stepped forward, picked up Xiaoling's head, and held it up to her face.
"Whoa..."
As a result, she fell straight backward, and it looked like she was about to pass out... I quickly pressed Xiaoling's head back onto her neck.
Now that things have come to this, there's no need to hide it any longer.
"It's her magic, just magic! Don't be afraid!"
"So... you're all magical girls?"
"Well, I guess so."
Although there are Artificial Magical Girl, artificial ones can still be considered magical girls, right?
Hearing me say that, the waiter breathed a sigh of relief and even complained:
"Phew, so magical girls really do come to magical girl-themed restaurants?"
Then she covered her ears...
She was wearing a small walkie-talkie, the style of which was similar to that used by the Association.
"Our young lady... ahem, our manager would like to have a chat with you. She'll be here shortly. Until then, please enjoy your meal!"
The waiter demonstrated excellent emotional control and quickly regained his composure.
I followed up with:
"Who is your store manager?"
The waiter smiled and shook his head.
"I can't say for sure, but I assure you she's a wonderful person, and you'll all like her."
Wow, trying to maintain an air of mystery?
"Oh?"
After serving pizza, snacks, steak, and mini cakes, the waiter left the private room again.
Xiaoling also pretended to pick up a napkin and tuck it into her collar.
I asked, "What kind of person do you think that store manager is?"
Mono pointed to the same stylish little bracelet on his wrist.
"If this fake Crystal contains magic, perhaps it's the shopkeeper's magic."
"Magic that can change a person's appearance, that's really interesting."
Yezi appeared calm, but under the table she was subtly tugging at the hem of her coat, trying to cover more of her thighs. However, her sun-protective coat was already transparent, and the taut front only accentuated certain areas, making her look even more alluring.
"That should be considered a support-type magic? In movies, this kind of ability can be crucial in infiltrating enemy organizations, so perhaps it's more suitable for working in the Prosecutorate?"
But this kind of ability is mostly used by villains...
However, if it can be encapsulated in a battery, Miluno will have another trump card when she goes to the Other Side.
"It would be great if I could ask her for help."
I was just expressing my feelings, but Xiaoling had some reservations.
"Such a useful ability, yet she only uses it to open a shop to fulfill ordinary people's wishes to become magical girls... Not only that, but she also takes the opportunity to make money. This is not what a magical girl should do!"
While complaining, she rolled up a slice of pizza and stuffed it into her mouth.
"You can't say that! Magical girls using their magic to make money isn't illegal! Magical girls aren't saints; even Yezi and I have all sorts of little quirks."
Xiaoling hurriedly said:
"Don't say that, Ceruno is the gentlest person I've ever met... Ah, I like Miluno very much too!"
Yezi was amused by Xiaoling's words.
Yezi's expressions are more varied than when she Miluno.
She said, "There are already 14,000 magical girls, and that number is constantly increasing. Magic is incredibly diverse, and even the Association can't possibly create laws and regulations for every type of magic. Therefore, the proper use of magic can only rely on the self-discipline of the magical girls."
Just as Yezi said, the Association's control over magic is not strict. If a magical girl uses magic to commit a crime, but she doesn't subjectively feel that she is committing a crime, then the Star Crystal will not reduce its adaptability because of this.
This is a risk that has always existed but has been overlooked.
After eating a pancake, Yezi continued what she had just said.
"However, according to information from my mother, magical girl crimes are becoming more and more common. In addition to dealing with the enemies on 'the Other Side,' we also have some trash to clean up here."
Everyone knows what Yezi is talking about...
Magical girl crimes have happened before, but they were few in number, and the perpetrators could always be found afterward, so they didn't cause much of a public outcry.
However, some changes have recently occurred.
Contaminated Crystal.
That is, the Star Crystal stained with darkness.
Anyone can use that to become a magical girl; Anjie, Extinction, Halley, and even Mother's Crystal all fall into this category...
Even the Vega Crystal within my body was contaminated, causing my adaptability to stagnate.
This Crystal is being distributed around the world through some channel, and a group of unrestrained, immoral, and lawless individuals hiding in the shadows are able to use magic at will...
Their presence is a threat, and they will multiply like cockroaches.
The Association is having a real headache dealing with these people.
Once this topic was brought up, it was inevitable that it would touch on Xiaoling's past trauma. Even the pancake in my hand didn't taste good anymore. I was just thinking about how to change the subject when the door to the private room was pushed open without warning.
Tap tap tap--
The sound of high heels.
Good evening, colleagues!
A woman with long, light golden hair, styled in a bun, walked in with a carefree air. She had regular features and a well-proportioned figure, with curves that rivaled those of a runway model, but she seemed a bit too mature for a magical girl.
If that were all, she would just be an ordinary beauty, but the shocking scar on her right cheek and the cigar dangling from her lips make her appearance seem overly deliberate.
Perhaps she has a dragon tattooed on her back?
The woman dressed like a gangster was the manager the waiter had mentioned.
"If I had known you were all magical girls, I should have come out to greet you sooner..."
Mono coldly interrupted the store manager's enthusiasm.
"Forget the pleasantries. You've clearly been eavesdropping on our conversation, haven't you? Let me make this clear: my magic is reconnaissance-type, and pointless arguments will only make things more tense."
Was the store manager eavesdropping?
Having been humiliated by Mono, the store manager could only sigh with a wry smile.
"Sigh, I didn't expect to be contacted so soon after only half a month of opening... So, you're from the Association?"
I thought about it and still said no:
"No, we came down from the 'Zodiacal'."
It's easy to be exposed when someone pretends to be from the Association; for example, they can't produce proof or a search warrant when asked.
All Yezi and I had were passes to the branch building.
"... Does that magical girl school even care about such things? But our shop is just operating normally."
Is there any possibility?
Yezi looked at the shop manager and said with amusement:
"Actually, we were a group of people from the same dorm who came out to hang out. We walked around the underground mall for ages but couldn't find anywhere to eat. Then we saw a magical girl-themed restaurant and were really interested, so we went in to check it out."
Store manager. "... Hmm?"