A Magical Morning and an Unexpected Encounter

The insistent ringing of the alarm filled the small room.

With a resounding clang, Aimelusen’s fist silenced the bedside alarm clock before she groggily sat upright. The morning sunlight streamed through the curtains, bathing her face in its gentle glow, while the cheerful chirping of birds outside sounded utterly vibrant. Beyond the curtains, street vendors had already set up their breakfast stalls, eagerly awaiting passing students to provide them with sustenance. Some early risers, fond of their morning jogs, had likely already completed several laps around the neighborhood.

Unfortunately, such a vibrant morning proved to be a challenging time for students, whose brains were constantly taxed, to rouse themselves from slumber.

“Haaah~ Time for school again…”

Aimelusen rubbed her bleary eyes, let out a yawn, and sat on the edge of her bed for over a minute, yet showed no intention of actually getting up. A profound drowsiness felt like an invisible pair of hands, relentlessly pulling her back into the warmth of her covers.

After nearly three minutes of blissful grogginess, Aimelusen suddenly raised her hands, slapped her cheeks a few times, and mentally spurred herself on:

‘Aimelusen, Aimelusen, you are a magical girl! You absolutely cannot be defeated by the Sleepiness Monster!’

With that thought, Aimelusen snapped her eyes open and, leveraging her formidable magical girl willpower, successfully got out of bed. She then headed towards her wardrobe to select her outfit for the day.

Once her selection was made, Aimelusen closed the wardrobe. Instead of immediately changing, however, she stood silently, gazing at the two magical girl posters from other regions affixed to its door. The posters depicted two seasoned magical girls from the Tanuoh region—one clad in red, the other in blue. Renowned for their righteousness, helpfulness, and formidable power, they were veritable paragons for all magical girls. It was, in fact, after watching their combat footage that a young Aimelusen first conceived the idea of becoming a magical girl herself.

‘I, too, will surely become an exceptional magical girl, just like you!’

Aimelusen’s gaze, fixed upon the two figures on the poster, was resolute. Although she performed this ritual every morning, she did so willingly, knowing it was the only way to solidify her resolve.

“Aimelusen~ Hurry up and get dressed and brush your teeth! Breakfast is ready!”

Her mother’s voice drifted in from beyond the bedroom door.

“Oh, I know!”

Aimelusen replied, then swiftly dressed and washed up before heading to the living room to enjoy her breakfast.

Aimelusen pulled out a chair and had just settled down, ready to eat, when she heard her mother call out her name again, distinctly: “Ai-me-lu-sen, why don’t you ever bother to tidy yourself up when you’re getting ready? A section of your hair is sticking straight up.”

“Eh? Really? I suppose I don’t pay much attention to those things. Besides… it’s just a few strands, it shouldn’t matter, right?”

“Honestly,” Aimelusen’s mother sighed with exasperation, then set down her cutlery. She walked behind Aimelusen and began to neaten her hair while she ate.

“You’re old enough now, yet you still don’t know how to present yourself. How will you ever find a partner like this?”

“Mom! You’re talking about this again. I’m only in high school, and besides… my mind isn’t on those kinds of things right now…”

“Alright, alright, my daughter is grown and has her own thoughts; I won’t pry too much. But you should still make an effort to look presentable; it makes you seem more energetic and vibrant.”

After finishing Aimelusen’s hair, her mother stepped back to observe, and only when she saw that her daughter looked generally well-put-together did she nod in satisfaction before returning to her seat.

A short while later, having finished her breakfast, Aimelusen hastily slung her schoolbag over her shoulder. After a quick farewell to her mother, she dashed out the door.

‘Phew… Back to school again. I haven’t even fully digested yesterday’s lessons. Studying is truly harder than being a magical girl.’

As Aimelusen walked, she kept an eye on the path while simultaneously recalling some of the key concepts she had learned the previous day. After a while, Aimelusen suddenly noticed two figures ahead, one tall and one short, who seemed vaguely familiar.

‘Those two… judging by their figures and hair color… Eh, it looks like Yimeier! I should go say hello.’

With that thought, Aimelusen quickly broke into a jog, intending to sneak up behind Yimeier and give her a surprise.

“Um… Sister… I really can go to school by myself now… There’s no need to walk me all the way here…”

Yimeier, clutching her small bag, offered a slightly awkward smile, while her eyes darted to the short, green-haired woman beside her, seemingly gauging her reaction.

“No! Absolutely not! The news has been reporting an increase in monster sightings lately; I can’t possibly let you go to school alone.”

The green-haired woman, her hair neatly styled in a bun, crossed her arms and firmly dismissed Yimeier’s argument. But, when it came to height and physical development, anyone with eyes could clearly see that Yimeier was significantly more imposing than her sister.

In fact, Yimeier herself often thought the same. After all, she could transform into a magical girl, while her sister could not.

As if sensing Yimeier’s unspoken thoughts, her sister added a few seconds later:

“Don’t let my smaller stature fool you. When it comes to experience and courage, I’m far more capable than you…”

“Good morning, Yimeier, Ishila!”

“Eep!”

The instant Aimelusen clapped Yimeier and Ishila on the back, intending to surprise them, Ishila went rigid, instinctively seized Aimelusen’s hand, and executed an over-the-shoulder throw.

“Ow! That really hurt!”

Aimelusen, having been thrown, rubbed her backside and cried out in pain.

Ishila, upon realizing it was Aimelusen she had just thrown, froze for a moment before quickly rushing to help her up.

“Ah, I’m so sorry, so sorry! I was startled, so I just reacted instinctively…”

“Mmm… It’s fine, it’s fine. After all, I was trying to scare you. But… Ishila, your grip is as strong as ever.”

“Er… Alright, alright, say no more… If you keep talking, I’ll just die of embarrassment.”

Mortified by having accidentally thrown Aimelusen, Ishila’s face flushed crimson as she brushed the dust off her. Aimelusen herself, however, seemed entirely unbothered. After the dust was brushed off, she immediately struck up a conversation with the two sisters, and they continued their walk to school together.

Just as the trio neared the school gate, Minita suddenly materialized before them.

[An evil executive has reportedly appeared at Taurus Plaza. Go investigate immediately.]

“Eh? Now? This is far too early, isn’t it? These villainous executives are ridiculously proactive…”

“Hmm? Aimelusen, who are you talking to?”

Seeing Aimelusen suddenly conversing with thin air, Ishila couldn’t help but feel perplexed, prompting her to ask.

“Eh? Ah, well… The thing is… class is about to start, so Yimeier and I should head in now. We’ll chat again next time we have a chance, Ishila!”

With that, Aimelusen grabbed Yimeier and dashed into the school campus.

Ishila reached out, intending to say something more, but the two girls ran so swiftly that they vanished from sight in an instant.

‘How strange… According to their schedule, there should still be some time before the first class. Is there really a need to rush so much?’