Chapter 15: Predators and Protectors: A Magical Encounter

Do you know about the insect called the Asian giant hornet?

The motorcycle of the mountains.

The drone of the city.

It goes by many nicknames, but one thing is for sure: it’s a top-tier predator in the insect world.

However, even this physical beast of the insect kingdom isn’t without its weaknesses…

That weakness is none other than fire and heat that can crisp up its body.

In other words, the match-up between me and this monster overwhelmingly favors me.

“If a bug-type challenges a fire-type, what do you think happens?”

“Type?”

“Yeah, there’s such a thing.”

Leaving behind the pity I felt for this creature that didn’t even understand such a refined joke,

I twisted the hand gripping its horn and flipped the entire body of the insect monster into the air.

“Up you go.”

“Aagh!”

A short scream echoed.

Generally, bugs like this rhinoceros beetle type have legs that are horizontal.

And since they’re not built for rotation, once they’re flipped over, it’s hard for them to get back on their feet.

“Y-you! What are you trying to do?”

And typically, these insects…

Have weak underbellies.

I almost said I was about to give a demonstration, but shook my head and gestured toward Moon while calling her by her magical girl name.

“Moon, could you freeze just its back for me in this state?”

“O-okay.”

Slightly hesitant, Siyeon approached the struggling legs of the insect.

I guess it did look pretty gross to girls.

Though boys would probably cheer instead.

A monster insect combining a rhinoceros beetle, a stag beetle, and a mantis? You can’t resist that.

Anyway, Siyeon moved close to the side of the now-flipped-over monster and pointed her staff toward its twitching wings.

“Moon Shower!”

“Kraaaaah!”

The monster’s wings and back shell froze solid, attaching it to the ground.

With its body parts freezing, it let out a short scream.

That was enough for Siyeon—her job was done.

Just before she’d come out of the house, she had been glued to her computer.

Now that Siyeon had nothing else to do, I waved my hand.

“You’re done. Go ahead and watch your anime.”

“Okay!”

Without a moment’s hesitation, Siyeon flew off into the sky.

I guess she really wanted to watch that anime.

“Grr… grraaah!”

The monster’s resistance wasn’t over yet.

Its scythe-like mantis claws flailed desperately, but with its wings sealed and flipped on its back, there was nothing it could do.

I held my palm close to the heart-shaped ornament at the end of my now glowing red staff.

The short sound of sizzling flesh echoed nearby, like meat grilling on a hot surface.

To the strongest body, this wasn’t even hot, but I quickly withdrew my hand to enhance its sense of fear and despair.

“Oh! Hot.”

“You, you bastard, you didn’t…”

“Correct-!”

Accompanied by the familiar tone often heard in various videos, I sat on the soft belly of a clearly segmented insect.

“Th-th-that… stop iiiit-!”

The voice, drenched in fear and despair, brought me joy.

I could feel the heat from the heart-shaped decoration inching closer, slowly pressing it onto the belly as though love itself was being engraved there.

A sizzling sound, like meat placed on a hot grill, echoed through the air.

“Kyaaaaah!”

“Mmm, smell that-”

Though it didn’t quite match the scent of pork grilling, the smell of something burning was pleasing in its own right.

They say people used to eat fried grasshoppers back in the day; if it smelled this toasty, maybe it wouldn’t be so bad.

As the writhing became more violent, I slightly lifted the staff that had been pressed against it.

A blackened heart shape remained on the pale belly, the burnt mark clearly visible.

“Mmm! Satisfying, very satisfying.”

“Huff, huff….”

The insectoid monster’s chest and belly puffed up and deflated in turn. Its trembling forelegs reminded me how unbearable heat must be for an insect.

Even bees can kill giant hornets by surrounding them and raising the temperature. It’s not hard to imagine the pain.

“If you collapse after just one round, that’s disappointing.”

“Pl-please stop…”

“I’ll roast you slowly. If you don’t like it, just don’t come back here. Understood?”

Ignoring the monster’s plea, I gently twisted the middle of the staff, changing the mode. After three turns, flames short and sharp, like from a flamethrower, burst from the end of the heart-shaped decoration.

They kill hornets like this in videos too, using a torch like this.

“Hraaaahhh!”

What felt like hours to the monster passed in just a few minutes.

The insect’s legs curled inward completely, leaving its body hunched over. Slowly, it began to disintegrate into shimmering dust.

But one thing the creature said earlier caught my attention.

[I’ve heard plenty about you from the others!]

“Hm…?”

With a short grunt of curiosity, I watched until the monster was fully dissolved into the air, then took off into the sky.

It had heard plenty from the others.

That means, there’s a place where these things gather.

The reappearance rate of monsters in our area is close to zero.

Considering the return rate induced by fear, I had some idea, but hearing it confirmed left no doubt.

So, monsters have a gathering place somewhere….

If I could destroy that place, would they stop showing up entirely?

‘Whatever, why am I even thinking about this…?’

I let go of the deepening thought, dismissing it with a shrug.

As I keep saying, this world makes no sense.

Girls, looking like elementary school students, with mystical powers that defy all scientific explanation, defeating monsters…

The world is strange.

Even if common sense doesn’t add up, there’s not much to say about it.

After the monsters disappeared, whether heading to the training center or their units, or even if they don’t have any of those, people might say something like that.

Thinking too deeply is a loss, a definite loss.

“Transform back.”

I arrived at the rooftop of an apartment near my home.

Reciting the familiar transformation release spell, I patted my shoulders.

As a magical girl, I had to change my landing spot each time to avoid being identified by ordinary people.

There are rules among magical girls like that, but honestly, they feel more like guidelines than actual rules.

“Ugh, I’m sore.”

The instant I released my transformation, fatigue hit me like a wave.

I grabbed my shoulder with the hand I had just used, turning my neck side to side to relieve the tension.

The cute little crackling sound gave me a brief sense of satisfaction.

Could this be a sound coming from an elementary school student’s body?

Anyway, I took the elevator down to the first floor and headed toward my apartment.

“Mari, you’re back? Did it go well?”

“Yeah, as usual.”

“Shining, magical power!”

The sound of an animation played from the computer.

The cheerful and youthful voice of a character blended with Siyeon’s voice.

The voice actress behind that character is amazing.

I can’t even manage that right now.

Well, I guess it can’t be helped since it’s a job.

A magical girl isn’t so different.

Whether a voice actress or a magical girl, it’s just a matter of having real power or not, I thought.

Climbing onto my bed, I turned on my smartphone, and my fingers naturally navigated to the delivery app.

Magical girls and voice actresses both need to eat to survive.

“Siyeon, is there anything you want to eat?”

“Hmm….”

A short and simple question led to a long, drawn-out sigh of contemplation.

“Anything!”

After that contemplation, the answer was a vague “anything.”

It was a way of relinquishing the decision-making power to me.

That said, it wouldn’t be right to order something that the kids can’t eat.

“Anything, anything…?”

The more options there are, the more it becomes a burden.

It’s a narrow path that pretends to offer many choices.

Neither too spicy nor the occasional craving for raw fish can be options with Siyeon around.

Can’t I just order both?

But that delivery fee would be doubled!

“Ugh…?”

Ten minutes passed like that.

I couldn’t decide what to eat, scrolling infinitely with my thumb.

Wasn’t there always a lack of food options when it came to kids?

After a lot of consideration, I finally decided on a simple choice: tonkatsu, which is safe for everyone. It comes with a separate container of the typical Japanese-style sauce that kids love.

I ordered four pieces. Why? Because I need something to eat for breakfast before school tomorrow. I’ll keep two of the tonkatsu in the takeout container and eat the other two for dinner.

After finishing my meal, it was 9 PM, and a good kid like me knows it’s time to sleep. The comfort of lying down without earplugs was indescribably good.

“…!! -!”

“-!! -!!”

From behind the curtains on the balcony, I could hear the agitated voices of a man and a woman. They sounded like they were fighting, so I rubbed my eyes and sat up to see what was happening. First, I grabbed my smartphone and, with one eye half-open, pressed the button. It was 5 AM.

It was an awkward time to go back to sleep or to fully wake up.

To make sure the noise didn’t bother my roommate, I carefully descended the bed steps and, putting on my children’s slippers, slightly pulled back the curtains to step out onto the balcony.

Even though summer was approaching, a chilly breeze blew through the early morning air. Once I stepped out onto the balcony, the murmurs of the fight transformed into clear voices.

“Is this your front yard, you crazy woman?! If you feel sorry for those stray cats, why don’t you take them to your own house?!”

“What’s wrong with feeding the cats? What’s so uncomfortable about it?”

It seemed like they were the ones who had posted that warning notice recently. It was the woman from upstairs arguing with two people in tank tops and shorts in front of the apartment.

As expected, things started to go awry.

I can’t believe I’m witnessing this thrilling scene with my own eyes.

“Total fun.”

Suddenly, waking up at 5 AM didn’t feel like a waste at all.

The intense argument between the lady and the man made my heart race.

Of course, I hoped the man would win.

“Really?! Then if any of the cars here get scratched, I’ll charge you for it, right? Where do you live, you crazy woman? I saw you go into Building 105!”

“Why are you so heartless?!”

“Damn it, your compassion is overflowing, yet you leave cat food lying around for the kittens that the maggots crawl all over, making it smell terrible?!

Did your mother teach you that?

You gather stray kittens and make them a nuisance to everyone around here?!”

The lady was rendered speechless by the barrage of insults, like a bee with its mouth full of honey.

It seemed she didn’t expect to hear about her mother.

Seizing the moment while the lady was silent, the man shouted even louder.

“Tell me where you live, you damn woman!”

“I’m done! I won’t tell you! You can’t force me!”

And just like that, the argument ended with the lady fleeing in frustration.

“Damn…”

I couldn’t help but let out an exclamation.

From the balcony, I silently applauded with a sense of unspoken admiration and respect for him.

He was a true hero of this era, fighting off monsters that magical girls couldn’t defeat.