Chapter 3: A Favor Returned

‘Who does she think she is, calling me “Alice?”’ I internally grumbled, swallowing the sharp retort that almost escaped my lips.

I turned to get a look at her. Golden hair, bright eyes, and a cross-shaped wand. A support-type magical girl, clearly.

That explained why she was struggling.

“Wh-Whoa… Th-That was close… I thought I was done for…”

“You’re safe now. As long as Alice is here, everyone is.”

At least she recognized how close she’d come to death.

“W-Wait, Alice! Behind you! The monster!!”

“What?”

“<Khahaha!! Perfect timing!! I’ll crush you both at once!!>”

I turned back to see the monstrous figure swinging a massive, truck-sized fist. Two magical girls would be nothing more than splatters.

…Or so it thought.

‘Is it insane?’

“A-Alice! Don’t worry about me! Just go! You can dodge it alone…”

-Whirr

Magical energy surged into my wand, the crescent moon expanding into a full circle, much larger than before.

“Alice doesn’t abandon her comrades!”

“…!”

‘Now I’m being underestimated by a B-rank?’

The sphere pulsed with blue light as the monstrous fist descended.

-Whoosh

I swung my wand.

The oversized sphere of energy trailed a luminous blue tail as it moved in an elliptical arc, colliding with the monster’s fist.

Comet Smash.

-Boom!!!

The monster’s fist, along with a significant portion of its arm, was ripped away.

“<Kaaaaaaaaaaaaak!!!!!”

“Go back where you came from! Monster!”

“<Who are you calling a monster..!>”

Before it could react, I teleported above its head, near the crater left by my earlier Lunar Blast.

“Hiya!!”

-Bang!

“<Kiiiieeeeeeeek!!!!!!!”

Ah, finally, a proper monster shriek.

“If you won’t leave peacefully, Alice will send you back by force!”

“<Guh!>”

-Wham!

I punched it in the jaw, silencing its protests.

What followed was a one-sided beatdown. I was already annoyed at being dragged out again, and this monster’s foolish attempt at close combat only fueled my anger.

Ranged specialists often underestimated my close-combat skills. Perhaps a rookie mistake, but after eight years, I’d made sure to cover all my bases.

And even without that experience, I’d never been weak up close.

My ranged attacks were strong, but I preferred to finish opponents with a close-range wand strike. Those familiar with Alice knew this.

Not that it came up much anymore.

They called me washed up, yet still expected the same performance. If I deviated, they’d tear me apart.

-Wham!

“<Grk…>”

-Poof

“Oh.”

My punching bag was gone. B-ranks were infrequent; stress relief opportunities were precious.

“…Alice! Mission accomplished! Now, everyone…”

“W-Wait! Alice! D-Don’t you remember me?!”

Ugh, so annoying. I should have left immediately. Now I was stuck. Ignoring her would be rude, and ‘Alice’ wouldn’t do that.

“Hmm… Alice doesn’t recall. Have we met before?”

“Y-Yes! Five years ago! At the Han River, during the S-rank monster attack! Don’t you remember?”

“The Han River…?”

I vaguely remembered the incident. An S-rank monster would have had a designated name…

“Are you referring to the Leviathan incident?”

“Yes, yes! That’s right! You saved my life!”

“Aha. That’s right… Your name was…”

“Mia!”

-Twinkle

Her golden eyes sparkled.

Nope, no recollection.

Did she think she was the only rookie I’d saved? I’d rescued countless magical girls.

So, she was that type. The admiring junior.

“Of course I remember! I’m glad to see you’re doing well! Did you get back safely that day? Alice was busy and couldn’t check on you…!”

I wanted to leave, but ‘Alice’ wouldn’t.

“O-Of course! You saved me! That’s more than enough… You single-handedly lured Leviathan’s hydro cannons away from the city, giving everyone time to evacuate, and then you delivered the final blow! How could I ask for more?!”

“Heheh. That’s just what Alice does.”

I didn’t mind the praise. Gratitude was rare these days.

“I-If you’re free, would you like to have dinner sometime? I’ve been wanting to see you again, but I never had the chance until now!”

-Pause

Almost lost my composure there. This wasn’t the first such invitation. Plenty of people wanted to get close to a magical girl.

I forced a smile, delivering a practiced rejection.

“Unfortunately, Alice belongs to everyone. I appreciate your affection, but I can’t give anyone special treatment.”

“S-Special treatment…?”

“Well, Alice has to go now. May your starlight always shine brightly!”

“Ah…!”

-Flash!

I teleported away before she could say anything else.

“Bunny. No complaints this time, right? I’m not listening anyway.”

“[G-Good work… You can rest now. Two deployments in one day, both against B-ranks, essentially solo… Your performance is impeccable.]”

“As if I’ve ever lacked in performance.”

Washed up or not, my record spoke for itself.

“[And you handled Mia well. I was worried you’d start cursing again, like last time.]”

“…Better to be cursed at than to die from incompetence.”

Magical girls weren’t supposed to discuss each other publicly. Secrecy was paramount; loose lips could shatter trust and cause chaos.

This led to some… interesting side effects.

“[Still, you could be nicer. The other Mascots kept asking if Alice had a split personality.]”

“…You know I hate other magical girls.”

“[They’re… still your colleagues. Anyway, you did well today… Keep it up.]”

I’d once been harsh towards a rookie who messed up a joint mission. Luckily, it stayed within magical girl circles.

‘Deactivate transformation.’

-Flash

I returned to my usual drab appearance.

“Bus again… Taxi fare…”

A common question: How did magical girls earn money?

The answer: They figured it out themselves.

Mascots didn’t have Earth currency, and there was no salary for monster slaying.

Magical girls who revealed their identities could capitalize on their fame, but those who valued secrecy were on their own.

There was a new program offering financial aid to registered magical girls, but I wasn’t interested.

I lived off ‘Alice’s’ past earnings and occasional TV appearance fees. Technically, my income was negative, but I’d earned my rest.

It wasn’t luxurious, but I had what I needed. Work hard while you’re young, they say.

-Rustle

“Huh?”

I noticed something on the ground. Money.

“…Someone dropped this.”

I spotted a nearby wallet, likely lost during the evacuation. Inside, I found a considerable sum. 130,000 won. Rare to see that much cash these days.

I checked the ID, recognizing the face.

‘Ah, that guy.’

The man who yelled at me last week for being “late,” complaining about his job.

‘You’re guilty of annoying me.’

Civilians could complain, but he was getting free protection.

I pocketed the cash, leaving the ID and cards. Lost and found systems were efficient; I’d drop the wallet in a mailbox.

He’d get his belongings back, minus the cash. Not a bad outcome.

He probably owed his life to me anyway. He wouldn’t mind contributing to my transportation costs. He seemed concerned about his commute; surely, he’d understand a magical girl’s commute too.

Magical girls operated within specific zones, usually around their homes. No cross-country trips. That would be excessive unpaid labor.

“It’s almost evening…”

130,000 won and two days off. Not a bad day’s work.