“Haa… Haa…”
I looked down at Icicle, who was kneeling before me, trying to catch their breath, with a complex expression on my face.
They just keep coming at me relentlessly.
They’ve already been knocked down by me dozens of times.
I stopped counting after the 20th time.
“Ah, I give up, I give up~ Isn’t this too much, seriously?”
Leaf, looking exhausted, dismissed her magic wand.
Around her, the area was filled with trees that had been mercilessly torn apart by force and rocks that were completely shattered.
The ground of this virtual space, designed to mimic reality, was so overturned that it was unrecognizable.
“Huaaah…”
Among the things Leaf had created, there were also those that had completely melted.
The one responsible for that scene was none other than Blaze.
“Ugh…”
Supporting himself with both knees, Blaze caught his breath before launching a blade of fire toward me.
‘Is he focusing now? This one’s more refined than before.’
A blade of fire—an efficient attack that enhances its cutting power by concentrating extreme heat.
Any ordinary creature caught in this would not only be sliced apart but also have their severed surface melted.
This level of attack would definitely work on a D-rank opponent.
It might be uncertain against a C-rank, but considering that these kids, who haven’t even fully awakened yet, can use magic of this power despite being exhausted, it shows just how talented they are.
Of course, it’s nothing to me.
I simply flicked it away with the back of my hand.
“Ah…”
Blaze’s hollow expression said it all.
“As expected, experiencing real combat once is much better than explaining theories a hundred times. Everyone’s magic skills have improved quite a bit.”
Unlike before, when they were just recklessly throwing fire around, now they were at least trying to apply it in different ways.
Using magic efficiently and powerfully requires an emotional shift, so it’s not exactly easy.
“Ah… I’m giving up…”
Leaf, unable to continue, plopped down onto the ground.
To be honest, I had tormented her the most out of personal feelings, so she was just as battered as Icicle.
Well, I suppose I can go easy on them now.
I’ll be putting them through hell in the future anyway.
“Finished?”
By now, they should have a clear grasp of their own level.
And I’ve gotten a good sense of their abilities as well.
“Not yet…”
“Huh?”
“It’s… not over yet…!”
Icicle, forcing herself to stand, rushed at me.
She still wants to keep going.
Her sheer determination was admirable.
Just as I lifted my foot to dodge her sliding attack—Crack!
“Hmm?”
My ankle, which was touching the ground, was frozen solid.
As I hesitated for a brief moment, Icicle’s sword swung toward me.
That was a good move.
Not just that.
“That was a good attack.”
Thud!I shattered the icicles falling from the sky with one hand as I spoke.
A three-way pincer attack from above—her combat sense was impressive.
After easily destroying the icicles raining down from the sky, I narrowly dodged the sword swinging at me.
Grabbing Icicle’s hand firmly, I pulled her off balance and swept her legs.
“Ugh…?!”
Boom!
She spun midair due to inertia before slamming into the ground.
“I told you close combat wasn’t the best choice for you. Is this just stubbornness?”
“Kh…!”
Even after taking that hit, she was getting back up.
That kind of determination was uncommon for someone her age.
No—this went beyond determination.
It was more like sheer desperation.
“What is it that drives you so…”
“I have to become stronger… No matter what… And to do that, I must defeat you first…!”
To hold such desperation, there had to be something that had pushed her this far.
I didn’t know anything about Icicle, so I couldn’t be certain.
But if she was desperate to claim the power of a magical girl.
“Well… fine. I’ll take you on for as long as you want.”
“Ugh…”
Leaf, who had been watching from the side, made a disgusted face.
She must have realized that until Icicle’s challenge was over, they wouldn’t be able to leave this place.
“Well… it’d be boring to do this without stakes. How about we make a bet?”
They say motivation comes from both reward and punishment.
I hadn’t planned on offering anything on the first day, but…”If you so much as touch the hem of my clothes, I’ll grant you whatever you want—within my power, of course.”
“W-Whatever we want?”
“Yes, anything.”
Even if they just asked for money, I’d be willing to give it.
If they asked for too much, it might be a bit troublesome, but… Money was something I had more than enough of.
Still, I’d prefer if they didn’t just ask for cash.
“If you put it that way… Whew, there’s no choice but to give it our all!”
Leaf, now motivated, got up and prepared herself.
“I-I’ll do my best too…!”
Blaze also seemed ready as she pulled out her magic wand.
Though, rather than a wand, it was closer to a flaming greatsword.
“Come at me all at once. Since there’s something big on the line, I guess I should get a little serious too.”
A few simple spells should be enough.
“…”
Icicle took a calm stance, eyes steady.
Then, the moment they charged forward .
“Hup…!”
“Ah, this is going to be a pain…!”
Blaze and Leaf joined in the attack.
***
“Ugh… My whole body aches…”
“Ugh… I can’t move…”
“…”
Back in the dormitory, Blaze and Leaf collapsed onto their beds, unable to move.
Icicle sat in her seat with a blank expression.
Seeing how exhausted they all were, it seemed like today’s training was over.
“I held a free sparring session to assess your skill levels. How was it?”
“No… You’re a total monster…”
Leaf grumbled, calling me a monster as she turned over.
I had no idea why she was acting so prickly.
Did she sense that I had put personal feelings into the fight and deliberately tormented her?
“…I understand now why you’re called a legend… You’re incredible.”
Unlike Leaf, Blaze looked at me with genuine admiration.
Hearing pure praise put me in a slightly better mood.
But…“Icicle, are you okay?”
“…”
Icicle didn’t respond.
She just stared blankly into space.
Not even Blaze’s call got a reaction.
Was it because, despite all her efforts, she hadn’t even touched the hem of my clothes?
“Well… You’ll have plenty of chances, so don’t feel too bad.”
I walked up to Icicle and spoke.
Her empty gaze slowly shifted to me.
Hmm.
I glanced at the three of them.
‘They… seem oddly young.’
I wasn’t talking about their appearance.
Of course, they looked like young adults—around the average height or slightly smaller—but that wasn’t what I meant.
‘Their minds are immature.’
After living as a magical girl for 20 years, I had learned to see things more clearly.
One of those things was a person’s mental age—or their mental strength.
Since mental strength was directly tied to magical power, it made sense that I developed this ability.
But these three were far too emotional to be considered adults.
Being emotional wasn’t necessarily bad.
In fact, it could lead to an explosive surge in magical power, making it a highly advantageous trait.
Emotions were the most important aspect of being a magical girl.
People often say magical girls are deeply sensitive—this is exactly what they mean.
But that wasn’t the issue here.
Why do children have such strong magical power?
Because their minds are immature and their emotions are intense.
So if adults are reacting like children, what does that mean?
Someone might argue, “Adults can be emotional too. What’s the problem?”
But something about this felt… off.
Why were people like this suddenly appearing now?
On top of that, they were part of a classified project—so secret that their real names weren’t even disclosed, only their magical girl aliases.
They weren’t even allowed to undo their transformations.
At least, that’s what I’d heard.
Maybe that rule didn’t apply in front of me, but still.
‘I need to look into this.’
It’s not that I didn’t trust them.
It was just a possibility worth considering.
When I put everything together, something felt incredibly suspicious.
The stench of secrecy from the Department of Defense was undeniable.
“Well, let’s call it a day. I’m sure you all prefer that I leave early.”
“Ohh.”
“Ah… You’re heading out? Please rest well!”
As I waved and stepped outside.
“Sergeant Min Hayul.”
Icicle called my name.
“The condition you set today… Is it always in effect?”
Ah, she must be talking about the deal I made earlier—if they touched my clothes, I’d grant them a wish.
“Yes. From now on, too.”
“…Understood.”
Icicle nodded and lowered her head.
“Get some rest today. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
I said that and closed the door.
“Phew…”
Once outside, I let out a deep sigh.
It was a hassle, but I had something I needed to do.