Chapter 23 – The Magical Girls’ Party, Part 01

The day of the party had finally arrived. After finishing breakfast, I had to meet up with Mizu and the others to help prepare everything at the Guild so it would all be ready by tonight.

I walked happily through the quiet streets, feeling relieved that today would be peaceful and that the evening wouldn’t be too hectic. Everyone around me was just going about their daily routines. That’s when I spotted Tatsuki waving at me.

“Hey, Taiyaki,” he called out. “I haven’t seen you in weeks. I heard you became a Magical Girl! Why didn’t you tell me? Aren’t we childhood friends who are supposed to share everything? I thought you were my best friend, but I guess I was wrong. Why didn’t you tell me, Taiyaki?”

I sighed and answered, “I’ve been busy with Magical Girl duties these past weeks. I’m sorry for not telling you, Tatsuki, but right now I don’t have time to hang out with you like before. I know you want to spend time together, but I can’t live like an ordinary student anymore. I’m a Magical Girl now, and I have responsibilities. Maybe once things calm down, we can hang out again, but for now… I can’t. Please try to understand.”

He looked upset, which didn’t surprise me. After all, he was still just a kid—barely twelve years old. Of course he wouldn’t fully understand. It would be much worse if he were an adult who refused to. I told him I had work to do and bonds to strengthen with my teammates. I couldn’t waste time on a child who only thought about playing while demons and monsters roamed outside the city, threatening humanity itself. Why should their feelings matter more than that?

I tried explaining this, but he kept insisting that I spend time with him alone. He still didn’t get that I wasn’t going to “go out” with him. Why doesn’t he understand “no”? Goddess, please help me make this brat understand that I can’t do this. Why do I always get dragged into situations like this?

In the end, I told him bluntly that I was busy and maybe some other time. After a lot of pouting, he finally gave up and went home, though clearly annoyed. I didn’t pay much attention to it and continued on my way to the Guild.

When I arrived, the guards recognized me and let me in without trouble. Inside, at the tavern, I spotted Mizu, Akane, Mizuki, and Kori sitting together. There were also around thirty-five other Magical Girls—out of the hundred in the city. So this party might actually be bigger than I thought… though I don’t really care that much.

“Taiyaki! Over here, sit with us!” Mizu called out.

I sat down, and Kori asked, “About time you showed up. We were waiting for you. What took so long?”

“I ran into a little trouble on the way. Sorry about that,” I replied. “So, how’s the party planning going?”

Akane pulled out a sheet of paper with a list of things we needed to buy and prepare.

The list was:

Balloons

Barrels of beer

Chips

Colored candles

Small party bags

Each of us picked something from the list to take care of. My task was to get the balloons, and luckily I already knew where to buy them. Before splitting up, we agreed to meet back here at 4 PM.

I headed toward a shop that sold party supplies. The streets were filled with silent, advanced vehicles that automatically avoided pedestrians. These would’ve been so useful in my old world. But knowing humans there, some idiot would’ve found a way to ruin it. People like that always think they’re the center of the universe when in reality, they’re just pathetic nuisances.

Eventually, I arrived at the shop. Inside, an elderly man greeted me warmly.
“Welcome, young lady. How can I help you today?”

“I need balloons for a party at the Magical Girl Guild,” I said. “Could you give me some in different colors, please?”

He smiled. “Of course, give me just a moment.”

While waiting, I looked around. The store was filled with clown masks, wigs, confetti, and all sorts of decorations. Nothing out of the ordinary, really. After a few minutes, the old man returned.

“You’re in luck. These were the last balloons I had left,” he said. Then, almost casually, he added, “Oh, did you notice the clown masks? They haven’t sold much lately… but just before you came in, a man bought one. He seemed nervous for some reason. Strange, isn’t it?”

A bad feeling ran down my spine.

“Thank you, sir. How much for the balloons?” I asked.

“That’ll be 100 gold,” he replied.

I paid, grabbed the balloons, and stepped outside. That’s when I noticed a wanted poster:

WANTED – UNKNOWN CRIMINAL
A murderer who targets women, decapitating them. Known to wear masks while killing.
If spotted, report immediately to the Royal Knights or Magical Girls.

My heart sank. The man who bought that clown mask… it must have been him. Why hadn’t the old man reported it? Maybe he’d been threatened. I hoped that sweet old man hadn’t been put in danger.

I continued toward the Guild, but I couldn’t shake the feeling of being watched. Someone was following me. I stayed alert but tried to act natural. If it really was that murderer, then he’d surely come after me. Not that he’d stand a chance.

Before long, I ran into Kori, who had already gotten the barrels of beer. She was thirteen, so she was allowed to buy alcohol here. In this world, teenagers were permitted to drink if they were “responsible enough.” Honestly, some things here were worse than my old world, but no world is perfect.

Kori noticed I was lost in thought. “What’s on your mind, Taiyaki?” she asked.

“Nothing,” I smiled. “Just excited to dance with Mizu tonight at the party.”

She gave me a curious look, then shrugged. “Alright, let’s head back. Mizu, Akane, and Mizuki probably aren’t done yet.”

“Yeah, let’s go,” I agreed.

And with that, we walked back to the Guild with what we’d gathered so far for the party.