On Becoming a Magical Girl, Chapter 3

Her feet moved quickly.

The vehicles and pedestrians on the streets had shrunk to the size of sesame seeds, and few people noticed the petite figure leaping across the towering rooftops.

Fortunately, her combat uniform was not the kind that made accidental exposure easy.

Beneath the high-waisted, four-pleated skirt were safety shorts. Straps buckled around her thighs, and black tights disappeared into sturdy lace-up boots.

Her upper body was clad in an ornate buttoned short jacket, with huge, eye-catching bows decorating her chest and shoulders. Golden star-shaped ornaments adorned her head and left breast, with a star stud in her left ear. Following the gentle curves down from her neck and shoulders were sleeve bands, fingerless gloves, and leather wrist guards.

A ribbon was tied at her lower back, identical to her hair ribbon. As Efnir leaped, it swayed in the wind alongside her silver hair.

This was Efnir's combat uniform. It was perhaps a little too flamboyant, but this outfit had not actually been Efnir's own choice.

The combat uniform, including her transformed body, had been materialized from the "Order Force" within her mind. Just like the silver-haired girl's body after transforming, the style of the combat uniform was not something that could change according to Efnir's will.

Her body was covered from head to toe in fabric and ribbons. Rather than gorgeous, it felt more cute and energetic. Whenever she joined a battle, she shone as brightly as a popular girl idol walking a runway. This was also the direct reason why, despite being promoted as the "chief agent" and "spokesperson," Efnir had ultimately become known for the image of an "agent idol." Though by now, Efnir did not feel any resistance toward it.

Because of her appearance, more people chose to call her something like a "magical girl." To Efnir, that was another form of recognition and praise.

In short, Efnir had no complaints about it.

As she raced along, she tucked black earbuds into her ears and fastened her communications wristband.

When she had set out, contact with headquarters had already been cut off. Clearly, headquarters' communications receiver had been damaged.

After thinking for a moment, she pressed a button. An AI's mechanical voice sounded in her ear:

"Switching to combat communications channel."

"Connect Qinglan."

"Connecting..."

Qinglan, codenamed "Qinran," was the on-site commander for this operation. As a combatant, Qinglan was an outstanding agent whose overall combat strength in this city ranked only below Efnir's. Qinglan had joined the Orderkeepers two years before Efnir, making her the most senior of the remaining "agents" in the city.

In Efnir's impression, Qinglan was usually a quiet and elegant girl, like the kind older sister who had lived next door during childhood. In battle, she was also a dependable senior with abundant experience.

Normally, whenever Qinglan was present, on-site command was entrusted to her experience, while Efnir served as the combat vanguard with her overwhelming fighting ability.

But the call did not connect as expected.

"Bzzzt—"

After the mechanical loading tone, a harsh, chaotic burst of static suddenly exploded in her ear. Efnir frowned.

"Error: Connection failed."

Efnir tried several more times, but ultimately could not contact anyone.

Clearly, this was no longer merely communications being affected or disrupted. They had been completely paralyzed.

The situation seemed even more serious than expected.

"Switch to shortwave radio communications."

"Switched."

A beep-beep prompt immediately sounded in her ear.

"This is Agent Efnir!"

Efnir pressed the button and shouted.

"Can anyone hear me? If you can hear me, respond! I repeat! This is Agent Efnir..."

"Master?"

Before long, a girl's startled voice came through the earbud.

Fifina

Efnir was very familiar with that voice and form of address.

Fengling Shiyin, codenamed Fifina, also known as the "Bow of the Heavens."

Unlike Efnir, who wielded a long spear and excelled at frontal assaults, Fifina's "Order Weapon" was a bow. She was responsible for long-range support and reconnaissance, and excelled at unexpected opening strikes as well as powerful supporting interception.

Fifina's relationship with Efnir was more like that of a beginner and her guide. She was Efnir's direct junior and a relatively inexperienced "agent."

She had joined the Orderkeepers for the simple, almost foolish reason that she "admired Efnir." She had always trained hard with Efnir as her goal. Efnir often brought her along on missions to hone her combat experience and skills, which was why Fifina always called Efnir "Master."

Incidentally, every "agent's" weapon, like her transformed combat uniform and body, was unique and fixed. They were essentially objects materialized from the "Order Force." Once separated from their user, they could not remain physical for long, and in the hands of different users, they would only take entirely different forms.

At this moment, Fifina was clearly in battle. Gusting winds and the noise of explosions came through the earbud in bursts.

"Fifina?"

Being able to contact someone meant things had not yet reached the worst possible point. Efnir let out a slight breath of relief.

She hurriedly asked:

"Are you all right?"

"Uh, y-yes! I'm fine! It's just a little..."

There was a trace of panic in Fifina's voice.

"Communications have been paralyzed, so I had no choice but to use shortwave radio..."

During battle, they were equipped with specially made communicators. These devices contained several different kinds of frequency bands for use in different situations.

Because shortwave communications were an older-generation built-in communications system, they were easily monitored and interfered with, and required frequencies to be determined in advance. As such, they had been almost completely abandoned by the organization. Being able to contact Fifina through it was indeed an unexpected surprise.

"It's great that I managed to contact you, Fifina. You should be at headquarters right now, correct? Can you tell me what the situation is on-site? And where is everyone else?"

During an Erosion Disaster, communications would be cut off by the erosion. Most of the time, agents could not even contact commanders outside the battlefield. That was why agents had a position called "battlefield commander." The commander-in-chief handled external coordination, while the fighting within the disaster zone was entirely directed by the battlefield commander.

However, for some reason, Qinglan, the battlefield commander this time, had not responded. It was not that Efnir had no suspicions, but she did not want things to be as she feared.

"Uh? M-Master, are you nearby...?"

"Yes. I'm heading to headquarters."

"Uh?... No, wait... Master... Why are you coming here? Your injuries..."

"It's only a minor injury. Don't worry about it."

Fifina had been there when Efnir was injured. Even now, the sight of all that blood and the terrifying wound made Fifina shudder.

How could that possibly be a minor injury?

"But if you don't rest properly with an injury like that..."

"What matters most right now is the Erosion Disaster, isn't it?"

Fifina wanted to argue, but Efnir immediately cut her off.

Efnir knew Fifina's personality and gave her no chance to continue.

"Don't say anything else. I'll arrive within five minutes. Fifina, headquarters' communications are down, and I can't contact Qinglan either. Tell me what the situation on-site is right now."

Naturally, Efnir knew her own condition. Her waist had suffered a horrific penetrating wound, but after taking the "pill," she no longer felt any obvious pain. She believed it would not be a major problem for the time being.

"But, Master, you... Ah!?"

At that moment, a violent explosion rang through the earbud, followed by the girl's short cry of alarm, then hurried coughing and gasping.

"Fifina!!"

"Cough, cough... Master..."

The girl's voice suddenly weakened, and Efnir's heart clenched.

"Fifina, are you all right!?"

Only after a long pause did Fifina's somewhat hoarse voice return.

"I'm fine..."

"What happened just now!?"

"Master... Things at headquarters seem... a little too much to handle..."

"What exactly is happening?"

"I'm sorry... Master... I-I don't know either..."

The noise on the other end of the earbud suddenly diminished. Fifina panted, her trembling words nearly failing to form complete sentences. Her voice was low, as though she were speaking directly beside Efnir's ear.

"Headquarters' communications were cut off a long time ago... Erosion Entities are everywhere. Sister Qinglan and the other seniors have also lost contact. The rest of us joined later, so now we can only fight separately. But there are too many Erosion Entities, and the area is too large. We're scattered too far apart—we've even moved beyond communication range. Several defensive positions I can see are already about to collapse..."

In other words, the battle situation was unclear, command had completely collapsed, and the handful of core combatants were of unknown status. Only a few inexperienced newcomers were desperately holding on. If anyone could step forward now, it was probably only her, their senior.

This was not good news.

But even so, she was a dependable senior.

In this city, her individual strength and practical combat experience against Erosion Entities were in a league of their own. That was not boasting.

It was just that she was seriously injured now. How far she could go remained uncertain.

But she no longer had room to hesitate.

Efnir clenched her teeth and kept moving, rapidly weaving between buildings. In the distance, she could already see the traffic jam filling the street at its end and the headquarters building spewing billowing black smoke.

Several enormous red-and-black flying objects could vaguely be seen circling above headquarters. They resembled whales, yet also floating islands, and they emitted piercing howls.

"Is the enemy that big thing flying in the sky?"

"There are a lot on the ground too... Dregs..."

Fifina's voice grew quieter.

"Dregs" were humans completely swallowed by "erosion," transformed into Complete Aberrants. Dregs still retained human bodies and appearances, but their behavioral patterns were no different from Erosion Entities. They were filled with aggression toward humans and a desire for destruction. So far, there had never been a case of anyone turned into Dregs being saved.

"I see..."

Efnir bit down hard on her lower lip, darkness staining her eyes.

There had still been casualties.

She had still arrived too late.

"How is the evacuation of nearby residents going?"

"The evacuation started a long time ago, but things are getting dangerous... We're severely short-handed, and there's no command. Several intersections have already been breached... At this rate..."

"Tch..."

Efnir clicked her tongue and paused for a moment.

"Fifina, can you still fight?"

"I... I'm fine..."

"Good. Leave there now and stay in contact with me. Act according to my instructions."

"Yes! Master!"

"Now, gather everyone on your side onto the shortwave channel and listen to my command."

Efnir said.

"Leave the headquarters building and head to West Capital Tower. With your eyesight, you can serve as my battlefield operative, right?"

"Uh...? But headquarters..."

"Leave this place to me."

As she spoke, the sound of explosions drew closer. The clamor of crowds and honking horns filled the smoke-choked air. The enormous floating island in the sky was close at hand. Efnir narrowed her eyes, her gaze sharp.

"I'll take command here!"

She stomped down with force. The concrete beneath her feet shattered, cracks spreading like a spiderweb.

Efnir shot forward like a cannonball, like a meteor tearing through the sky, heading straight for the enormous whale high above.

Silver light appeared in her hand, glittering like starlight as it formed into a long spear.

"Die—!!"

With a sharp cry, Efnir violently shattered the "step" beneath her feet, spun, and hurled her spear. Flames burst from it like a fire cloud.