The Magical Girl Next Door

(Bai Ziye)

My name is Bai Ziye.

Male, 17, student.

Standard height, standard build, decently handsome.

I have a good buddy who grew up with me.

His name is Sun Yao. Everyone calls him A-Yao.

He has that typical otaku face—honest, simple, and a bit chubby.

But honestly, I don’t think he’s fat at all.

Just a round face and some harmless belly flab. His weight is normal—he’s got at least twenty pounds to go before being considered obese. He’s a total “fake fat” otaku.

But that’s not the point. The point is, he’s a magical girl… fan.

His room is packed with magical girl figures, posters, and all sorts of merch. And his absolute favorite magical girl is “Gale Moonlight Miluno.”

To be honest…

“Miluno” is the name I use as a magical girl.

Yeah, I moonlight as a magical girl… Well, the serious kind—the kind that never has her clothes torn for fanservice.

So, to keep our friendship from going sour, I have to completely hide the fact that I’m a magical girl.

To keep this secret, I didn’t even register with the Magical Girl Association.

That means I don’t get a single cent for defeating monsters—it’s purely volunteer work, unpaid labor.

Though, if I did register, I could collect all that back pay at once…

When will I register?

When I graduate.

When do I graduate?

The moment my identity is exposed, I’ll graduate from the magical girl business!

That’s been my plan all along.

****

To survive a hot summer afternoon, A-Yao and I are at KFC, playing the latest “Monster Hunter: Rice.”

Fast food joints are great—if you have thick enough skin to endure the staff’s half-hearted glances, you can order a Coke (no ice) and sit for hours.

No ice, so the soda doesn’t get watered down.

“Whoa! I got a Rathian Ruby!”

After one hunt, A-Yao yells excitedly. The staff’s stares turn even more annoyed, almost piercing.

But I don’t care.

I just laugh—I don’t even blush.

Compared to the shame of “fighting monsters in a frilly skirt while being livestreamed to the entire internet,” this is nothing.

Looking at the “Quest Complete” screen, I put down my Switch and flex my wrists.

“A-Yao, I have a question.”

He puts down his Switch too, looking at me suspiciously.

“What?”

“What exactly do you like about Miluno?”

The moment I ask, he slams the table and stands up.

“Hey, you’re asking the right guy!”

His breathing quickens like he’s having a hyperthyroid episode.

“Don’t get so worked up. Calm down and answer me.”

“Mysterious and strong, an ice queen! She’s the magical girl with the least info online, yet she’s ranked in the top 10! Plus, she’s a super cool speed-type… Miluno operates in our city, and her patrol area is near our home! That means if I keep going out, I’ll see her in person someday… Aren’t those reasons enough?”

A-Yao’s face is red and the veins in his neck are bulging. My mouth twitches.

But he’s right.

Not to sound immodest, but I’m really strong as a magical girl.

The Star Crystal that mysterious magical girl gave me? It’s like a cheat code tailor-made for me. Once I transform, my combat power goes off the charts. So far, I’ve never faced a monster I couldn’t take down in one round, and I’ve never fought to the point of my clothes getting damaged.

If we’re talking fight duration, I might just be the strongest magical girl.

Maybe because I’m too strong, monsters usually don’t show up in my area in Sky City. Public safety has gotten so good that property prices have actually gone up.

But…

“So ‘going out often’ is your reason for dragging me here today?”

“What else?” He shrugs. “If not for Miluno, wouldn’t it be more comfortable at my place?”

“No way, I’m not going to your room…”

I refuse on the spot.

Stay in a room full of my own merchandise and photos? No thanks—I’d rather fight ten monsters at once than spend ten minutes in that hell.

We’re not so poor that we need to leech AC from KFC. A-Yao is actually a rich kid, since he can afford all those expensive magical girl collectibles. But somehow, this silver-spoon brat turned into the otaku he is today. I look back at our childhood together, wondering when exactly he went down this path.

“You just don’t appreciate magical girls!” A-Yao shouts at me.

Just as I’m about to retort, a harsh evacuation alarm rings outside.

[Alert: Phase wormholes detected in sectors D4 and D3. Full deployment expected in five minutes. Residents in these areas, please evacuate in an orderly manner.]

“…Oh? It’s been a while.”

We’re in sector D3. Holographic evacuation arrows light up on the streets.

A destructive monster is about to appear, but A-Yao looks excited.

I call out, “Come on! We need to evacuate!”

“Huh? Evacuate? Ye Zi, there’s a monster nearby! I’m not going to a shelter—I want to see Miluno!”

“Miluno won’t show up in broad daylight… Hey! Don’t run!”

A-Yao runs off without looking back.

This idiot actually plans to find a spot to watch the magical girl fight. He even left his phone and bag on the table. I have to pack them up.

Cleaning up takes a moment. By the time I get out, he’s already gone. The streets are packed with people evacuating in an orderly fashion—it’s like a temple fair, shoulder to shoulder. One slip and you lose sight of someone, and once you lose them, you can’t contact them.

Especially since he left his phone behind.

“Damn, he runs fast. And he says he’s not fat…”

I look around and spot the holographic marker of the phase wormhole in the sky. It’s projected by a high-altitude phase surveillance drone—a huge arrow visible from every corner of sector D3.

Not far from here. At most, three hundred meters.

This monster is betting I won’t act during the day, so it’s coming to attack my turf?

But this area doesn’t only have me as a magical girl…

Uh…

The other one isn’t exactly reliable.

The evacuation alarm continues to blare.

“External Invader.” That’s the general term for enemies coming through wormholes into this world. They usually appear as grotesque humanoids, so they’re simply called “monsters.”

Twelve years have passed since the first “Zero External Invader” caused massive casualties, but humanity still doesn’t know where these enemies come from. Conventional weapons are like paper swords to them—barely a scratch.

Fortunately, among humans, magical girls capable of using “Star Crystals” to transform have appeared, maintaining a fragile peace. In the past twelve years, countries have developed complete response strategies. People have grown used to these sudden alarms, and while zero casualties is now the norm, panic still accompanies each occurrence.

Carrying two bags, I go against the thinning crowd to find A-Yao. Since I know the wormhole’s location, a search around the marked spot should catch him.

“Stop!”

Just as I push out of the crowd, an arm with an armband blocks me.

“An External Invader is about to appear! Civilians are not allowed near. This area is unsafe—please leave immediately!”

It’s an armed police officer handling the evacuation, and he has an uncompromising stance. I can’t exactly pull out my Star Crystal to prove I’m a magical girl.

Buzz…

A low-frequency sound wave unique to wormhole activation hums through the air. At the arrow marker, a blue pillar of light shoots into the sky.

“Five minutes already… No, it’s early!”

“All units on alert!” The armed police turn, aiming their guns inside the cordon.

“Leave now! Don’t make me cuff you!” he yells at me.

I can’t exactly tell him a friend ran in. Even if I save that idiot, he’ll end up in detention for a few days.

Well, no choice then! Today, I’ll break routine just a little…

I walk a few steps with the evacuees, then slip into a narrow alley between buildings. After confirming there are no cameras and no one watching, I flip open my nylon wristband and take out my crystal.

Beautiful…

Even after seeing it countless times, the Star Crystal still captivates me. The luxurious dark gold reflects a radiance as brilliant as the sun. When that radiance merges into my heart, I become the magical girl Miluno.

(Magical girl transformation takes only 0.5 to 2 seconds.)

I wear knee-high boots with thick heels. Though I wasn’t used to them at first, now I’m fully accustomed—I can even run on walls as if they were flat ground.

Below is a black lotus-leaf miniskirt with gold trim, layered with soft tulle like clouds, ensuring no accidental exposure from any angle. Above is a simple short-sleeved white shirt with a thin ribbon bow at the collar. Under the sleeves, I wear black fingerless gloves with gold edging.

My sleek hair, free of extra ornaments, falls behind me. My features are sharp and cold. To hide my identity, I rarely speak, so I’m seen as a “cool type” character.

My weapons are two gemstone short swords at my waist, but I rarely use them. Though called “magical girls,” many use physical attacks rather than magic as their primary output.

This outfit is quite modern and easy to move in (except for the thick soles). Some magical girls transform into corseted gowns with heavy petticoats—just imagining it is torture. I don’t know how they fight in such restrictive clothes.

After hiding the two bags, I kick off the wall and leap to the rooftop. The fight at the wormhole must have already started.

Explosions and fire are visible even from this distance. If I’m not mistaken, those aren’t even being caused by the monster…

“Tch, when that girl deals with the monster, she won’t take out A-Yao too, will she?”

The other magical girl in this area is quite unstable.

Running along low rooftops toward the wormhole, the armed police on the ground notice me and even salute.

“And they were so harsh just now,” I mutter.

I leap high above the marker.

There!

Below is a sea of fire, craters, and billowing black smoke. The street looks like it’s been bombarded. A rock-like monster spews hot waves from its mouth like molten lava… I don’t see the other magical girl.

Defeated?

It does seem tough… but not for me.

“Time-Freeze!”

I use my magic. Instantly, everything around slows down—except me!

“You might have just arrived, but it’s time for you to leave!”

I descend. I don’t even need my weapons. With the acceleration of gravity, the thick boot soles stomp hard on the monster’s head.

“Magical Girl Kick!!!!”

The entire stone head shatters from the kick, bursting with hot lava. Before the erupting magma can touch me, I backflip away.

“Good destructive power, but your movements are too slow.”

I snap my fingers and cancel the slow-motion spell. To me, this monster is just a grunt.

“No, maybe I’m just too fast instead?”

But through the annoying smoke, I see a disheveled A-Yao. He is supporting a badly injured magical girl.

He looks up at me with pleading eyes.

“Please… help her!”