Chapter 3: The Price of a Wish

The situation was dire; both Watanabe Hayato and Shiraishi Kisa found themselves in an extremely perilous predicament.

Hayato lay trapped in a nightmare, unable to awaken. While I couldn’t discern the veracity of the Bandaged Monster’s claims, I knew I couldn’t risk it; he was my most cherished friend.

Should Shiraishi Kisa acquiesce to the monster’s demands and expose her true identity, she would undoubtedly be coerced into performing unspeakable acts.

Therefore, both for the common good and for my personal convictions, I was determined to rescue Hayato and aid Shiraishi Kisa.

In my everyday life, I was always prone to hesitation, frequently plagued by indecision, and I harbored numerous other desires that, to me, seemed far more significant.

Upon reflection, this opportunity to make a wish truly arrived at an inopportune moment. I longed to return to my mother’s side, to transform into a dashing, outgoing individual, to possess gaming prowess unmatched by anyone else…

Yet, in this very instant, only one thought consumed me—

“My wish is to be able to protect Hayato at all times, and everyone else I care about!”

Had it not been for Hayato, I doubted I would have possessed the courage to survive until this very day.

Without my aunt and uncle’s adoption, I would likely have been raised within the confines of an orphanage.

And if not for Shiraishi Kisa, I probably would never have experienced the joy of conversing with a charming girl.

“Therefore, I want to become a Magical Girl!”

As I uttered those words, a surge of excitement coursed through me; it felt as heroic as transforming into a Kamen Rider!

Peculiar, indeed. I was clearly a boy, so why did I wish to become a Magical Girl?

“Young man, what is your name?”

The little black cat’s tone was solemn, its eyes gleaming like two luminous bells.

The tempest raging outside the window imbued me with a profound sense of gravity, as if this very moment marked a pivotal turning point in my destiny.

“Aoyama Ren.”

“Now, place your left hand over your heart and feel its rhythmic beat. Your soul, your memories, your emotions—at this very instant, they transform into seeds, buried deep within the earth. Do you see it? Your true inner self, your authentic being…”

As I listened to the little black cat’s words, I strained to conjure images: the chaotic breath of despair, the tangerine-red sunset, and the crimson blood, replaying endlessly. It felt as though I had been cast into the fathomless depths of the ocean, unable to perceive any glimmer of light…

“Young man, what compelled you to awaken from that nightmare!”

Despite it clearly being a child’s voice, it unexpectedly brought me a sense of calm. I drew a deep breath.

Parched, dizzy, and throbbing with pain, I lay upon the ground, my mother’s face vivid before my eyes. Even in her final moments, my mother had shielded me.

“Ren—”

A familiar voice.

“Aoyama Ren—”

It was Hayato’s desperate cry.

“Hayato…”

I attempted to respond, yet my voice emerged as a faint, exceptionally hoarse whisper.

My right hand instinctively clutched a shard of stone, intending to hurl it, to signal my presence to Hayato. Alas, my enfeebled body merely allowed the pebble to tumble a few centimeters with a soft clatter.

“Ren—Aoyama Ren—”

“I… am… here… Hayato…”

This time, not even a whisper escaped my lips.

‘…Perhaps I should just sleep. If I sleep, I can be with Mother again.’

I had utterly surrendered.

Yet, upon awakening, I found myself lying in a hospital bed, the air faintly imbued with the sterile scent of disinfectant.

“Mother…”

I called out, my voice raspy and hoarse, but the familiar figure from my memories never materialized.

After what felt like an eternity, I heard the hospital room door creak open. Turning my head, I saw an expression of pure surprise alight on Hayato’s face.

“Ren, you’re awake?”

“Mm… where’s my mother…”

“…”

Hayato remained silent.

Reflecting on it now, I realized that even an eight-year-old child could comprehend the meaning of death.

After a considerable passage of time, I finally posed the question to him.

“Hayato, can I still be your friend?”

“Of course! From now on, I am also your family, Ren, and my parents are your family too!”

“…”

‘Is that so?’ I thought. In truth, Hayato’s solemn promise at that time had stirred no ripples within my heart.

‘It didn’t matter, for I had nothing left to lose.’

From that day forward, Hayato frequently visited me in the hospital room, bringing manga and a game console.

‘Why did he persist in coming to play with me?’

Then, one day, Hayato’s promise truly came to fruition.

I was adopted by the Watanabe family, becoming their cherished child.

‘Why… why were they so incredibly kind to me?’

‘Why did this emotion feel so profoundly warm, compelling me to weep uncontrollably?’

“Incredible, it actually worked.”

The little black cat’s eyes widened in astonishment. From the center of the deep black on the boy’s chest, tiny specks of starlight-like white light began to emerge.

“However… this certainly complicates things for me…”

Idly scratching its head, the little black cat’s gaze drifted toward the window, its thoughts beginning to wander:

‘Battling a monster of eerie abilities, Magical Girl Sakura Tsui finds herself in grave peril. And at this precise moment, only one boy has awakened from a nightmare…’

The little black cat snapped back to attention. The luminous aura surrounding the boy gradually coalesced, encasing him like intricate ice crystals. As light and shadow fractured, a girl emerged, clad in a flowing black Gothic gown.

What an utterly peculiar sensation this was. My line of sight had significantly lowered. I glanced around, noticing that the little black cat, which I previously had to look down to see, was now at eye level—a stark contrast to my previous state as a boy.

‘And why were Magical Girl outfits always so elaborate? The sensation of the fabric against my skin was surprisingly comfortable, light, and airy…’

“How am I supposed to fight?”

With that, I feigned a serious demeanor and posed my question to the little black cat.

The last time I had worn a girl’s clothes was when I was a mere child.

Due to a custom in my mother’s hometown, I had worn girls’ clothing during the period I first became acquainted with Hayato. It wasn’t until the summer vacation of kindergarten, when both our families embarked on a trip together and we were made to bathe in the same bathroom, that Hayato finally discovered the truth.

‘Well, now I was sixteen, and I certainly understood the distinctions between boys and girls.’

‘Dressing boys in girls’ clothes before the age of six was a custom in my mother’s hometown, thus an unavoidable circumstance.’

‘And now, doing this out of necessity to protect Hayato, also qualified as an unavoidable circumstance.’

I firmly believed this in my heart.

‘But, it truly was terribly embarrassing.’

“Every Magical Girl possesses a distinct fighting style,” the little black cat declared, its tail flicking rapidly. “Sakura Tsui’s power alone is sufficient to defeat the monster. Therefore, your objective is to break the stalemate and retrieve Watanabe Hayato. For now, I will explain the most fundamental methods of using magic.”

“The simplest method is a magical beam. Imagine the magic within your body converging at your fingertips, then aim and unleash it. As your mastery over magic grows, you’ll be able to float in the air like Sakura Tsui, or even conjure a barrier to ward off the rain.”

“Beyond directly releasing magic, the most crucial element in combat is one’s weapon. Sakura Tsui’s weapon is a bow and arrow, making her adept at long-range attacks. For a Magical Girl, the most fundamental use of her weapon requires no prior learning; it’s as instinctive as a human naturally using their hands to grasp objects.”

Hearing this, the thought of discovering my own weapon sparked within me. A vivid crimson scythe, like a blood moon, materialized in the palm of my hand. Though its tip, when resting on the ground, rose far above my head—

I felt no sense of awkwardness whatsoever.

I even felt confident enough to peel an apple with it.

“A scythe, the very same weapon as that monster who calls himself Yin Yi (TL Note: The monster’s self-proclaimed name, meaning ‘shadowy’ or ‘gloomy’),” the little black cat remarked, scrutinizing me. “In that case, a direct confrontation is out of the question for our battle plan. I’ve already instructed Sakura Tsui to stall for as much time as possible. Now, operating from the shadows, we must leverage the element of surprise to our advantage.”

“Whether you can protect that boy, Watanabe Hayato, rests entirely on this single strike of yours.”

I nodded softly.

“I can release my transformation. But before I do, I demand to know your true objective.”

Sakura Tsui’s gaze shifted away from Watanabe Hayato.

Both parties intently monitored each other’s slightest movements, the tension in the air as taut as a violin string stretched to its breaking point.

‘I cannot betray any intention of attack, otherwise Watanabe-kun…’

The monster’s face was tightly swathed in bandages, rendering its features utterly indiscernible. A voluminous black robe further obscured its form. Sakura Tsui could only infer its emotions from the nuances of its voice.

“Inoue-kun!” Yin Yi suddenly shrieked. Observing that Sakura Tsui’s expression remained utterly unchanged, his voice rasped like a cawing crow:

“You possess no right to bargain! Now, immediately release your transformation, or even if you defeat me and return to reality, this boy named Watanabe will forever remain a vegetable.”

“Hm, no, I mustn’t lose my composure,” Yin Yi corrected himself, as the flock of crows beneath him began to caw raucously. “Very well, I shall count down from five to one, and you will decide: is your true identity more important, or is his soul?”

Yin Yi held Watanabe Hayato horizontally, lifting him by the neck in a manner that would undoubtedly induce agonizing suffocation. Yet, Hayato remained motionless, eerily resembling a lifeless doll.

“Five.”

“…”

Yin Yi raised his hand even higher, ensuring his opponent could clearly witness how effortlessly he could snap the boy’s neck in that very moment.

“Four.”

“Three…”

Never before had Yin Yi experienced such exhilaration. Within the organization, his power was merely B-rank, placing him in an awkward middle tier; he was beholden to A-ranks above him, while the lesser grunts below him were utterly incapable of complementing his abilities.

This time, harnessing the power of the nightmare, combined with his own ability to induce despair, Yin Yi had actually glimpsed, however fleetingly, Magical Girl Sakura Tsui’s profound fear amidst the fragmented, chaotic memories.

To corner a Magical Girl in such a disadvantageous position, to wield such a gratifying form of coercion—Yin Yi was experiencing this profound sense of accomplishment for the very first time. His pupils, hidden beneath the bandages, dilated, and he eagerly prepared to utter the next number—

In that instant, he watched, horrified, as the right arm clutching the boy simply vanished. A searing, tearing agony ripped through his limb, already beyond his control by the time his consciousness could even register what had occurred!

“Ah—! My right hand!”

No blood gushed forth, but Yin Yi knew that within the domain created by the nightmare, losing a body part meant utterly losing sensation upon returning to reality!

Instinctively turning his head, Yin Yi sought to identify his assailant. Yet, in the very moment the stalemate was shattered, he was startled to find that Magical Girl Sakura Tsui’s weapon had appeared!

The girl, nimble and swift, repeatedly drew her bow, unleashing a barrage of arrows.

Yin Yi hastily commanded his flock of crows to intercept the attack. Seizing the momentary opening, he scanned his surroundings once more, attempting to locate the unseen attacker.

However, the assailant’s speed was extraordinary, and in the pouring rain of the night, they had already vanished without a trace.

“So that’s it, you were stalling for time!”

Yin Yi realized that the organization’s intelligence was flawed; Kanagawa City was not, in fact, guarded by only one Magical Girl!

Sakura Tsui offered no reply, the swirling rain causing a strand of her pink hair to flutter across her forehead.

The girl’s expression was cold and resolute, as several colossal magic circles manifested behind her. The immense surge of magical power seemed intent on obliterating him completely!

Yin Yi shrieked:

“You need to reconsider! I already know Watanabe Hayato’s appearance and identity. Even if you defeat me, I have ways to inform my comrades maintaining the nightmare outside!”

“It doesn’t matter.”

Upon hearing Sakura Tsui’s response, Yin Yi understood that his intimidation tactics were no longer effective. If he delayed any further, he would truly meet his demise here!

The flock of crows enveloped Yin Yi, then transformed into his wings, carrying him swiftly as he fled into the distance

“…Because neither of you will exist today.”

In Yin Yi’s final conscious moments, a wave of pink light, like a tide of cherry blossoms, completely enveloped him…

In an unfamiliar classroom, I looked up, still in my Magical Girl form. The intense, brilliant light, like the sudden flash of lightning, illuminated the world with extraordinary clarity.

“The monster… has it been annihilated?”

“Of course, Sakura Tsui is an A-rank Magical Girl.”

The little black cat sauntered slowly, then leapt onto a classroom desk.

The battle plan, the little black cat seemed to have clearly communicated with Sakura Tsui, was for me to snatch Hayato, Yin Yi’s hostage. The moment I succeeded, Sakura Tsui would cover my escape.

At that time, I acted with the unwavering belief that I had to protect Hayato, without overthinking. Looking back, it was truly a close call. If I had failed, not only Hayato, but even Shiraishi Kisa…

But, thankfully, I succeeded.

I looked at Hayato. He was seated on a chair, his school uniform drenched from the rain.

The hand Yin Yi had used to choke Hayato had been severed and discarded by me, but Hayato’s neck bore bruises.

I was somewhat worried that Hayato might have other injuries.

I wanted to carefully examine Hayato’s body, yet upon touching his hand, a jolt of electricity surged through my brain, followed by an intense impulse—

‘I want to hold Hayato’s hand.’

‘I want to interlace my fingers with Hayato’s.’

‘No! We are good friends! Good friends shouldn’t do that!’

The battle was over, yet my heart pounded uncontrollably. Why?

Looking at Hayato’s face, why was my face flushed and my ears burning!

Something felt off about me after becoming a Magical Girl.