About Becoming a Magical Girl

Her feet moved swiftly.

The vehicles and people on the streets below shrank to sesame-seed size. Few noticed the petite figure leaping across the towering rooftops.

Thankfully, the combat outfit was not the sort that easily exposed anything.

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

Her upper body was clad in an ornate buttoned short jacket, with large, eye-catching bows on her chest and shoulders. Golden star-shaped ornaments decorated her head and left breast, and a star stud adorned her left ear. Following the gentle lines from her neck and shoulders downward were sleeve straps, fingerless gloves, and leather wristbands.

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

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

The combat outfit, as well as her transformed body, had been materialized from the mental image of the "Order Force." Just like the silver-haired girl's body after transformation, the style of the combat outfit was not something that changed according to Efnir's will.

Her entire body was covered in fabric and ribbons. More than gorgeous, it gave people an impression of cuteness and vitality. Whenever she entered battle, she shone like a popular teenage idol stepping onto a runway. This was also the direct reason why, despite being promoted as the "Chief Agent" and "Spokesperson," Efnir had ultimately become known for her image as an "Agent Idol." Though by now, Efnir did not find it particularly objectionable.

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 onward, she slipped black earbuds into her ears and fastened her communication wristband.

Her connection to headquarters had already been cut off when she set out. Clearly, headquarters' communications receiver had been damaged.

After considering it for a moment, she pressed a button. An AI's mechanical voice sounded in her earbud:

"Switching to combat communications channel."

"Connect Qinglan."

"Connecting..."

Qinglan, code name "Qinran," was the field commander for this operation. As a combatant, Qinglan was an outstanding Agent whose overall combat ability in this city was second only to Efnir's. Qinglan had joined the Orderkeepers two years before Efnir and was the most senior among the remaining "Agents" in the city.

In Efnir's impression, Qinglan was usually a quiet and elegant girl, like the older sister next door from childhood. In battle, she was also a reliable senior with abundant experience.

Normally, whenever Qinglan was present, field command would be entrusted to the more experienced Qinglan, while Efnir served as the combat vanguard with her overwhelming fighting power.

But the call did not connect as expected.

"Bzzzt—"

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

"Error: Connection failed."

Efnir tried several more times, but in the end, she could not reach anyone.

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

The situation seemed even more severe than expected.

"Switch to shortwave radio communication."

"Switched."

A beep-beep prompt immediately sounded in her earbud.

"This is Agent Efnir!"

Efnir pressed the button and shouted loudly.

"Can anyone hear me? Respond if you can! I repeat! This is Agent Efnir..."

"Master?"

Before long, a surprised young girl's voice came through the other end.

Fifina

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

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

Unlike Efnir, who wielded a long spear and specialized in frontal assaults, Fifina's Order Weapon was a bow. She was responsible for long-range support and reconnaissance, and excelled at unexpected preemptive strikes and powerful supporting interceptions.

Fifina's relationship with Efnir was somewhat like that of a beginner and a guide. She was Efnir's direct junior and an Agent with relatively little seniority.

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

Incidentally, every Agent's weapon, like her transformed combat outfit and body, was unique and fixed. They were fundamentally items 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 take entirely different forms.

At that moment, Fifina was clearly in the middle of battle. Gusting winds and explosions came through the earbud in waves.

"Fifina?"

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

She hurriedly asked:

"Are you all right?"

"Ah, 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 activate shortwave radio..."

They were equipped with specialized communicators during battle. Those communicators had several different types of frequency bands configured for different situations.

Since shortwave communication was an older built-in communications system, it was easily monitored and interfered with, and required frequencies to be determined in advance. The organization had therefore almost completely abandoned it. Being able to reach Fifina through it truly was an unexpected surprise.

"It's wonderful that I could reach you, Fifina. You should be at headquarters, right? Can you tell me the situation on-site? And where is everyone else?"

During an Erosion Disaster, communications could be blocked by Corruption. Much of the time, Agents could not even contact commanders outside the battlefield. That was why Agents had the position of "field commander." External deployment was directed by the commander-in-chief, while combat within the disaster zone was fully handled by the field commander.

But for some reason, this operation's field commander, Qinglan, was not responding. It was not as though Efnir had no suspicions, but she did not want them to be true.

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

"Yes. I'm on my way to headquarters."

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

"They're only minor injuries. Don't worry about them."

Fifina had been beside Efnir when she was injured. The horrifying bloodstains and terrifying wound still made her shudder whenever she recalled them.

How could that possibly be a minor injury?

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

"Isn't the situation with the Corruption Disaster more important right now?"

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 be there within five minutes. Fifina, headquarters' communications have failed, and I can't contact Qinglan either. Tell me, what's the current situation on-site?"

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

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

At that moment, a violent explosion rang out from the earbud, followed by the girl's brief 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!?"

After a long pause, Fifina's somewhat hoarse voice finally came through.

"I'm fine..."

"What happened just now!?"

"Master... Things at headquarters... seem to be getting a little difficult to handle..."

"What exactly is the situation?"

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

The noise on the other end of the earbud suddenly quieted. Fifina panted, her voice trembling so badly that she could barely form complete sentences. She spoke softly, as if pressed against 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 on our own. But there are too many Erosion Entities, and the area is too vast. We're spread too far apart, beyond communication range. Several defensive points I can see are already about to collapse..."

In other words, the battle situation was unclear, command had completely broken down, and the status of the few core combatants was unknown. Only a handful of inexperienced newcomers and juniors were desperately holding on. If there was anyone who 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 unmatched. That was not arrogance.

It was simply that she was seriously wounded now, and how much she could accomplish remained uncertain.

But she no longer had room to hesitate.

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

Several enormous red-and-black flying objects could vaguely be seen circling above headquarters. They resembled Whales, yet also Floating Islands, and emitted piercing howls.

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

"There are many on the ground too... Dregs..."

Fifina's voice grew quieter.

Dregs were Complete Aberrants formed when humans were completely devoured by Corruption. Dregs still retained human bodies and appearances, but their behavioral patterns were no different from those of Erosion Entities. They were filled with aggression and destructive urges toward humanity, and there had never been a case of anyone turned into Dregs being saved.

"I see..."

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

There had still been casualties.

She had still arrived too late.

"How is the evacuation of nearby residents going?"

"The evacuation began a long time ago, but things are critical now... We're severely understaffed, and there is no command. Several intersections have already been breached... If this continues..."

"Tch..."

Efnir clicked her tongue and paused.

"Fifina, can you still fight?"

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

"Good. Leave now and stay in contact with me. Follow my instructions."

"Yes, Master!"

"Now, bring everyone on your side into shortwave communication 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 observer, can't you?"

"Eh...? But headquarters..."

"Leave this place to me."

As she spoke, the explosions drew closer. The clamorous sounds of crowds and honking filled the smoke-choked air. The enormous Floating Island in the sky was right before her. Efnir narrowed her eyes, her gaze icy.

"I'll take command here!"

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

Efnir shot forward like a cannonball, like a meteor streaking across the sky, aimed straight at the enormous Whale in the air.

A silver gleam appeared in her hand, sparkling like starlight as it formed into a long spear.

"Die—!!"

With a sharp cry, Efnir violently shattered the Stairway beneath her feet, spun once, and hurled her spear. It erupted with a cloud of flame as it left her hand.