Chapter 29: Domination and Submission

“Haah.”

Lunt, the mascot of Magical Girl Happy, had recently developed a bad habit he couldn’t seem to break.

Every five minutes, a sigh escaped his lips, and it had already been days since this started.

In reality, five minutes was an optimistic estimate. If he counted the unconscious sighs as well, it happened nearly once a minute.

Sighing was a common way to release frustration, but if it wasn’t working, he should have tried a new approach.

Yet, he chose to ignore it, telling himself the feeling would fade soon.

It was a pathetic excuse.

The reason for his frustration was clear—his charge, Happy, had caused a massive problem.

Or, to be more precise, if he wanted to explain it fully, it was a crime committed in perfect unison by both Happy and her other persona, Hyun-seo.

The thought alone refused to leave his mind, lingering like a tiny thorn embedded in his flesh—small enough to ignore, but irritating enough to make him want to pluck it out.

“Kidnapping, confinement, assault, battery, harassment.”

As soon as he muttered a fraction of the crimes they had committed, another deep sigh escaped Lunt’s lips, even heavier than before.

By all rights, he should have contacted the Magical Girl Administration Bureau and reported Happy immediately, demanding they revoke her powers.

It had long since reached that point.

But he couldn’t.

Even with his special privileges, Lunt was still a living creature, and living creatures feared death.

If the Bureau discovered who their victim was, not only would Happy and Hyun-seo be purged, but Lunt himself would be erased along with them.

“Haah.”

Worst of all, he had no way to resolve the situation.

His only option was to sit quietly and pray for the day when the one they loved would disappear forever.

At least, that day was finally today.

If he could just endure today, there would be no more sighs.

He comforted himself with that thought and raised a paw, preparing to perform his duties as a mascot.

“This is the last time I have to submit a false report.”

He muttered to himself.

That habit would end today too.

As he conjured several sheets of A4-sized paper with magic, he found himself wondering what other bad habits he had developed lately.

The papers were daily reports required by the Magical Girl Administration Bureau.

He plopped down on top of a row of lockers at the back of the classroom, ensuring his invisibility spell was active before stacking the papers neatly.

Then, he placed the second sheet on top, skipping the first.

He had already finished writing the first report, titled A Diligent Morning.

Did she wake up early? – Yes.
Did she have breakfast? – Yes.
Did she complain to her parents? – No.

Looking only at the first page, Happy seemed like the ideal magical girl—kind, responsible, and disciplined.

“The real problem starts from the second page.”

Scanning the report titled A Lively School Life, another sigh slipped from Lunt’s lips.

Does she have many friends? – No.

As soon as he wrote the answer, the next question changed.

Instead of How many friends does she have? it now read Why does she not have many friends?

From here, Lunt had to start twisting the truth.

He clenched his eyes shut and forced himself to write a response.

She is naturally introverted.

Then, he quickly moved on to the next question.

Does she pay attention in class?

He felt relieved.

Finally, a question he could answer honestly.

All he had to do was write down what was happening right in front of him.

Lunt glanced toward the very back of the classroom, where Hyun-seo sat.

“This is ridiculous.”

Either answer—Yes or No—would technically be correct.

She was paying attention in class while simultaneously controlling her smartphone with magic.

If this were three days ago, the answer would have been a clear No.

Using magic to multitask was inefficient, and she wasn’t focusing properly on anything.

But now?

Ever since two days ago, she had become a completely different person.

Losing the one she loved had triggered her awakening, skipping multiple stages of development in an instant.

Even Lunt, who had managed several magical girls, had never seen such rapid growth before.

Now, she had more than enough magic to maintain multiple spells at once.

Even if she added another task on top of this, it wouldn’t faze her.

So technically, Yes was the correct answer.

But the guilt gnawed at Lunt.

He felt uneasy as he wrote down the lie.

Objectively, this was a good thing.

A stronger magical girl meant an easier victory against the Darkmoon Organization.

By all measures, Happy’s awakening was something he should be celebrating.

And the reason for her growth?

Love.

Even if it was an abnormal kind of love—one girl obsessed with another—Lunt didn’t judge.

Nor did he see her dissociative identity disorder as a major issue anymore.

Unlike his initial fears, Happy and Hyun-seo never fought over control.

They adjusted seamlessly, accepting their circumstances with ease.

In fact, their duality brought more advantages than disadvantages.

So why did he still feel guilty?

Because the person they loved…

…was Yeres, the Queen of Darkmoon.

The very enemy that magical girls were supposed to destroy.

“What kind of twisted mindset makes you fall in love with your enemy?”

Lunt scribbled down another lie and let out yet another sigh.

[Lunt.]

At that moment, a call from the Magical Girl Administration Bureau rang in his mind.

[A Darkmoon presence has been detected in South Korea.]

For once, something good had happened.

Lunt’s negativity vanished, replaced by a bright smile.

“Right on schedule.”

Still, when he spoke, he made sure to sound grim, as if preparing for a difficult battle.

[How is Happy’s condition?]

“Optimal.”

[Good. We expect an all-out battle, so we’ll be deploying both Happy and Joy together. However…]

“However?”

[ It’s just a prediction. But there’s something strange about the enemy’s formation. ]

“What exactly is strange about it?”

[ They appear to be preparing for an all-out battle, but we’re also detecting a high number of lightly armed troops. It seems more like they’re searching for something rather than planning a full-scale invasion. ]

Lunt glanced at the magical girl who had caused all this trouble.

[ Do you have any information regarding this? ]

“No.”

Silently, he prayed that this would be his last lie.

[ Understood, Lunt. Continuing the briefing. ]
[ The enemy has appeared in the middle of XX district, Seoul. ]
[ Their numbers match our expectations—all available forces of the Darkmoon Organization. ]
[ As a result, all magical girls are being deployed to South Korea. ]
[ However, this will take time. ]
[ For now, we will respond with magical girls active in East Asia. ]
[ Do you understand? ]

Lunt, who had just been putting away the unfinished daily report, nodded at the Bureau’s question.

If he spoke now, he wouldn’t be able to hide the excitement bubbling up inside him.

[ Decoy activation in five minutes. ]
[ We need coordinates for Magical Girl Happy. ]

“The coordinates are… Setting behavioral mode to number two.”

[ Confirmed. Begin your mission as soon as the decoy is active. ]

“Understood.”

The transmission ended.

Lunt no longer had to suppress his emotions.

A bright smile spread across his face as he threw away all the negativity he had been holding onto.

Finally, he could be free from endless sighs, false reports, and murmuring to himself.

Strengthening his invisibility spell, he approached Hyun-seo and spoke.

“Hyun-seo. Wake Happy up.”

She hesitated briefly before pulling out a perfume bottle.

It was the same one that smelled just like Yeres.

To Lunt, it just reeked of damp leaves.

“What’s going on?”

Even the way she switched personalities reflected her love for Yeres.

And she was supposed to be a magical girl.

“The Darkmoon Organization has invaded South Korea.”

“They’re looking for Yeres, aren’t they?”

“…No one else knows that. Keep it a secret.”

“I will. When is the decoy activating?”

“In three minutes.”

Three minutes later, Happy suddenly stood up in the middle of class, ignoring the ongoing lecture.

The Bureau’s decoy took her place in the empty seat.

She sprinted toward the open window and leaped into the air.

As she soared, her black hair turned pink, and her school uniform transformed into a magical girl outfit.

“Where do I go?”

Following the coordinates given by the Bureau, she soon spotted other magical girls already gathered.

Among them was Joy, one of only two Korean magical girls in the world.

Unfortunately, there was no time for greetings.

The moment Happy arrived, an ominous sound echoed from the sky.

The Darkmoon Organization had appeared.

As soon as they spotted the magical girls, they launched an indiscriminate attack.

The magical girls retaliated immediately.

…

…But Happy did not attack.

“Sis, what are you doing right now?”

She remained in place, hovering midair, urgently speaking on the phone with Yeres.

Lunt clenched his teeth, barely containing his fury.

“Happy! What are you doing—!”

He couldn’t even finish his sentence.

Happy was only pretending to sound frantic.

She even had the audacity to deliberately take enemy attacks without dodging.

She glanced at Lunt before using her magic to write in the air.

“Hurry and answer me. I know you’re listening!”

“Sis… why are you saying that incantation…?”

The negative emotions Lunt swore he’d never feel again came crashing down upon him.