Chapter 4: The Price of Heroism

Ah… I got it wrong.

Teacher Lin might have saved me, but that didn’t mean I could save the girl before me. Could a simple ‘Can we be friends?’ truly move someone’s heart, like in novels and anime, enough to pull them from such extreme emotions?

She claimed to be a liar. Surely, she must have heard words like these countless times throughout her life?

He recalled his own initial thoughts when he first met Teacher Lin. He had believed such a teacher would only be momentarily enthusiastic. He assumed they were merely fulfilling their duties, and would naturally give up once they realized he was beyond help.

But Teacher Lin never gave up.

Instead, he touched his heart with his unwavering patience, his integrity, and his genuine kindness.

So—how could he possibly achieve such a feat? It was arrogant, even delusional, to think he could save the girl before him in a single instant. Ha ha…

He Yao! You’ve read too many novels!

He struggled to turn over on the ground, then looked outside.

Magical Girl Emerald, the girl whose true name was Liu Xingyue, was undeniably locked in a desperate battle at this very moment. He had heard that every Magical Girl possessed her own designated jurisdiction.

While it wasn’t impossible for more than one Magical Girl to emerge in a single area, the insidious nature of the Kaiju and the cunning of the Kaijin organizations meant each Magical Girl maintained her own patrol zone.

Other Magical Girls, upon receiving news, confirming that the local Magical Girl was struggling against the current enemy, would require precious time to arrive as reinforcements.

Could Emerald hold out until rescue arrived?

He slowly lifted his head, then saw the girl slowly approaching him. The tennis racket clutched in her hand was still stained with his own blood.

His vision blurred.

Was he going to die here today?

Kaijin disasters, Kaiju outbreaks—countless lives had been lost to these calamities over the years. What was one more, especially someone like himself, who brought no real contribution to the world? After graduation, he would likely just be another parasite on society.

He only regretted letting Teacher Lin down.

He gripped the baseball bat.

Damn it!

Damn it all!!!!

He didn’t want to die!!!

Even a useless person like him! He didn’t want to die!

Struggling and trembling, he pushed himself to his feet. His hand, gripping the baseball bat, trembled violently, knuckles turning stark white from the sheer force. He fixed a desperate gaze on the girl before him.

‘Kill her?’

He seemed unable to do it. His body swayed precariously, making it difficult to even discern her form clearly. Moreover, in her current state, she was connected to the Kaiju, wielding immense power.

So…

Break her leg.

If she could feel pain, if she could awaken even slightly from her extreme emotional state, the infant’s power would surely wane. Then, Emerald might just stand a chance…

Yes, that was it. With the tennis racket raised high, her most natural strike would be a downward swing. Even with her amplified strength, it would be difficult for her to pivot and defend against an attack aimed squarely at her calf.

Yes, this was it. This was the last thing he could possibly do. He wondered if, in her current state, she would simply smash his head with the tennis racket.

‘Surely not? My head must be harder than a tennis racket… A concussion?’

‘I don’t know.’

He staggered, yet a surge of resolve began to fill him. Like a desperate, cornered stray, he lunged towards the girl, covering the distance in just a few frantic steps.

Her eyes were full of hatred, and she raised the tennis racket high.

As expected!

He steeled himself, swinging the baseball bat with every ounce of his strength, connecting with a brutal thud against the girl’s left leg. At the same time, the tennis racket struck his head.

“Ah!!!!!!”

As a fierce wail tore through the air, his world dissolved into a blinding white.

****

Almost simultaneously, Emerald heard the agonizing cry erupting from within the shop.

Beneath that mournful sound, Emerald felt the infant’s power abruptly diminish. Concurrently, the shadowy infant began to shriek and wail, as if wracked by immense internal agony.

“Opportunity!”

She realized He Yao had acted, a conclusion solidified by that pained cry. She reined in her thoughts.

“Emerald! Gem Radiance: Green Domain: Light of the Heart!”

A verdant green light erupted from the emerald adorning her forehead, swiftly enveloping the colossal infant. Bathed in this emerald glow, the infant began to shrink, little by little.

Simultaneously, she burst into the sports equipment store. Inside, she saw the girl clutching her leg and wailing, and He Yao lying unconscious in a pool of blood.

‘Head suffered a heavy blow?!’

“Emerald: Healing Light!”

A beam of green light descended upon He Yao. Emerald, with no time to spare for anything else, instantly appeared before the girl. With a swift uppercut, she struck the girl directly on the chin.

The girl immediately suffered a concussion, then fell into a coma. Outside, the shadowy infant simultaneously began to disintegrate, gradually fading into nothingness.

She looked at He Yao lying on the ground.

‘He shouldn’t die… but whether there will be lasting repercussions, I cannot say. I am a Magical Girl, not a doctor. While I possess some healing capabilities, issues concerning the brain are beyond my expertise.’

****

“Do you want to become a Magical Girl?”

He Yao was not entirely oblivious to his predicament. He surmised that this vast, featureless white expanse was a hallucination, a consequence of his concussion-induced coma.

He had heard that those in a vegetative state experienced something similar. They could hear voices from the outside world, understand when spoken to, yet were utterly unable to respond.

Could he, too, be destined to become a vegetable? It seemed he couldn’t even hear the faintest sound from the outside world.

‘This is rather grim… Wouldn’t it be better to simply die?’

‘Living half-dead, how many would I burden?’

“Magical Girl?”

‘But what is this? Have I read too many Magical Girl novels, finally conjuring hallucinations? Why would I hear someone asking if I wanted to become a Magical Girl? It’s simply hilarious.’

He scanned the endless white world, and at last, his gaze settled upon a shimmering orb of light.

“Spirit of Hope?”

He knew what this entity was. Ever since the advent of Magical Girls, its existence had become common knowledge. Magical Girls encountered these beings, forged contracts with them, and thus became Magical Girls.

According to humanity’s current understanding, these entities were the antithesis of the negative energy Kaiju. They were concentrations of hope’s power, thus universally dubbed Spirits of Hope.

However, unlike the chaotic emergence of Kaiju, the Spirits of Hope possessed a profound intelligence, carefully selecting suitable individuals to become Magical Girls.

He Yao was stunned when he saw the entity.

‘No, wait, are you serious?’

“Do you want to become a Magical Girl?”

Still that same question.

Why?

He Yao simply wanted to know why. Shouldn’t Magical Girls, the chosen vessels for transformation, be beautiful maidens like Liu Xingyue? Why would such a power seek out a reclusive otaku like him?

But there would be no answer. No matter his queries, the entity offered only a single, persistent question: ‘Do you want to become a Magical Girl?’

He understood that his only possible replies were ‘yes’ or ‘no’—a choice to embrace this power, or to reject it.

Though he couldn’t grasp the full scope of his situation, he knew that before today, he would have answered ‘yes’ without a moment’s hesitation. This matter is also recorded in *Filial Piety*.

What was the big deal about a man transforming into a Magical Girl? Setting aside the potential issue of becoming a beautiful maiden, he would gain superpowers! And earn an incredibly high salary!

It was almost unimaginable! With such power and income, he could even move out of his parents’ house. He could attend school when he wished, or skip it entirely. After all, school was merely a means to find a job in society…

Magical Girl was a legitimate profession!

With a high salary, he could freely splurge on in-game purchases—and even command the respect of the world. If he wished to avoid being labeled a pervert, he could simply conceal his identity…

But after today’s events, he hesitated. He had indeed performed an act that resembled heroism, but only because he had been left with no other option.

Had he not broken the girl’s leg, he would have been beaten to death by her tennis racket.

If faced with the same situation again, would he still intervene upon seeing Emerald in distress?

He couldn’t give a definite answer. Kaiju and Kaijin disasters had occurred several times over the past decade. Yet each time, he had been one of the many who fled with the crowd, following evacuation orders. This was his first true confrontation with such an entity.

He would die.

Fighting against these things, he would die.

The high salaries of Magical Girls… were, of course, entirely justified. To put it plainly, it was a profession where one’s life hung by a thread. There had been no shortage of Magical Girls who met their end.

Back then, hearing such news, he had only felt a pang of regret. He had even penned a cyber epitaph, posting it online to mourn fallen Magical Girls. But if it were *him* facing such a fate…

He hesitated. Today, more profoundly than ever, he recognized that he was no hero.

If it were Teacher Lin, given such an opportunity, he would never waver. Even if it meant transforming into a Magical Girl, he would face it with a reassuring smile, declaring, “I will protect everyone.”

But I’m not like that. I’m not like Teacher Lin. I’m not a hero. I’m just a shut-in otaku.

Besides… even if Magical Girls earned a substantial salary, he didn’t truly need it. His family was relatively well-off; he could simply remain a dutiful parasite. His grades weren’t terrible, so he’d likely secure a decent job after graduation.

‘It’s pretty good!’

‘Why become a Magical Girl and constantly put your life on the line?’

So this kind of thing…

So this kind of thing, ah…

…

“Doctor, how is my son?”

A beautiful woman, clad in a sharp business suit, stood anxiously outside the ward. She had clearly rushed there, not even taking the time to change her clothes.

“Physically, he is mostly unharmed, thanks to Magical Girl Emerald’s treatment. He has suffered a concussion, and the precise prognosis is still uncertain, requiring further observation. We cannot definitively say when he will regain consciousness; it could be any moment now.”

“Thank you, Doctor! I understand!” The woman felt a wave of relief at the doctor’s words. “Excuse me, where can I settle the bill?”

“There’s no need. According to regulations, since he assisted Magical Girl Emerald in defeating the Kaiju, all medical expenses will be fully reimbursed. In fact, you can expect awards like ‘Brave Citizen’ to be delivered to your home.”