Chapter 11 : Golden Trainer (1)

Leaf, who had been exuding a carefree attitude just a moment ago, was now sitting stiffly, frozen in place.

Blaze found Leaf’s change in demeanor rather curious.

“What? You didn’t listen when I was talking.”

“… If I didn’t listen, I really thought I was going to die…”

Leaf said that while trembling.

Of course, I never actually intended to kill anyone.

But I did mean to push them hard enough to make them feel like they’d rather die.

“Well, I understand. When someone becomes a magical girl, their personality tends to shift depending on their attribute. It’s inevitable. After all, their power comes from positive emotions like love and peace.”

“I-Is that so?”

“Yes, it is. Blaze, what kind of person were you before becoming a magical girl?”

“Uh… I think I was just an ordinary person.”

“You were probably the type to strictly follow rules while being passionate about the things you loved.”

“H-How did you know that?”

Well, it’s obvious just by looking.

Every action of theirs radiates a burning passion, almost excessively so.

Even though they obsess over following rules, their enthusiasm is clear.

They might not realize it themselves, but the fact that their passion manifests as magic says it all.

The name “Blaze” was probably given to them because their weapon is the fire born from that very passion.

Now, look at Icicle.

They’re just cold.

Their expression is so emotionless it’s impossible to tell what they’re thinking.

It might not seem like a positive emotion at first glance, but some positive emotions appear cold on the surface.

They’re probably someone who rarely shows emotions and has a calm, composed nature.

Predicting how someone’s personality changes after becoming a magical girl isn’t always easy, though.

“What about Icicle?”

“I, uh… I tried talking to Icicle a few times, but they barely responded….”

At Blaze’s words, Icicle turned their head slightly.

“Then shouldn’t Blaze just warm Icicle up?”

“What do you mean by that…?”

Blaze turned to Leaf with a genuinely confused expression.

It seemed like they truly had no idea what Leaf meant.

Of course, I knew exactly what they were implying.

Blaze had always been like this, but it seemed their personality had intensified after transforming into a magical girl.

They might actually need some proper education.

“Ahem… Well, nice to meet you all. I don’t think I properly introduced myself yesterday, so let me do it again.”

I momentarily dismissed the hood I was wearing with magic, revealing my magical girl form.

Long pink twin tails, a bright pink dress fit for a young girl, and heart-shaped ornaments scattered all over.

A costume overflowing with childlike innocence.

It used to embarrass me, but after wearing it for so long, I hardly cared anymore.

“My name is Min Hayul. My magical girl name is Heart.”

Why “Heart”?

I have no idea.

Only the fairy that made me a magical girl would know.

“The legend of magical girls…”

Icicle’s eyes sparkled.

This was the first time I’d seen them show interest in anything.

“Ahem… Anyway, my job is to train all of you.”

I still wasn’t sure exactly how I’d go about it.

What I was teaching them came from my own experience as a magical girl.

It wasn’t that fighting more would increase their magic or make them stronger.

Strength came from emotions—mental and emotional growth were the key.

However, using their abilities to their fullest potential was a different story.

“Starting today, I’ll teach you how to fight against anomalies efficiently.”

And for that, getting beaten up was the best starting point.

“Let’s head out.”

To the training ground.

***

As we arrived, the other officers turned their gazes toward us.

Though it was called a training ground, it was more like a high-end facility built for the country’s most valuable individuals.

Thanks to the efforts of women advocating for their rights, most military units had decent facilities, but this place was on another level.

“This kind of stuff didn’t exist in my time.”

The training ground—or rather, the magic training hall—was a massive indoor space filled with equipment designed for magical practice.

It was built to withstand almost anything, but you never knew for sure.

I pulled out my magic wand for the first time in a while.

A dazzling wand adorned with a heart-shaped gem, overflowing with childish charm.

“It’s been a while since I last used this.”

As I ran my fingers over it, I gathered my magic.

“First lesson: the broader the concept represented by a magical girl’s attribute, the stronger they tend to be.”

My magic was based on the concept of love.

By applying that concept, I could do something like this.

“If I love this space—if I truly don’t want to damage anything here…”

The magic activated.

In an instant, the training hall transformed.

“It becomes reality.”

In fantasy terms, this would be spatial distortion, or perhaps a pocket dimension.

Though we were still in the same training hall, nothing we did here would affect the outside world.

“W-Wow… That’s incredible!”

“I don’t really get it, but basically, we can go all out here, right?”

“Hm… I guess so.”

Wait, is this the first time Icicle has spoken properly?

“Did you think I couldn’t talk?”

Icicle gave a small nod.

They were always so silent that I honestly thought they couldn’t speak.

“We… just need to get ready, right…?”

Muttering under their breath, Icicle pulled out their weapon, eyes filled with determination.

It was a long sword made of ice.

“Ugh, this is such a hassle.”

Leaf sighed but still took out their weapon, looking like they had no choice but to fight.

It looked like an ordinary wooden stick, but the magic within it was nothing to scoff at.

“W-Wait… are we all fighting?”

Only Blaze seemed confused, glancing around in bewilderment.

It looked like they didn’t understand why I had suddenly told them to attack me.

Honestly, Blaze’s reaction was the most normal one here.

But those two… especially Icicle—were they already planning to fight me the moment they saw me?

“You know… I am your instructor.”

They call me a legendary magical girl, yet they’re treating me like this.

I put my magic wand away.

Icicle’s eyes widened when they saw that I was now unarmed.

“I will fight you with my bare hands. I won’t use any magic either.”

“Isn’t… that dangerous?”

Was this confidence in my own abilities?

Or was I underestimating them?

Well, it was probably the former.

Otherwise, they wouldn’t have called me a legendary magical girl.

Icicle didn’t seem like the type to lie just to flatter someone.

If anything, they were the kind of person who would say “no” when everyone else was saying “yes.”

Maybe that’s why they had this particular attribute.

Most modern magical girls don’t even have a fully formed concept behind their powers.

Most soldiers only have a vague magical attribute.

So the best they can do is things like energy blasts and barriers.

And even then, their magic is diluted with all sorts of mixed emotions, making it low quality.

But these three had the highest level of talent.

Their attributes were born from pure emotion.

That’s why they were brought here—because they were the best.

“There’s no need to worry about me. Now, come at me.”

I curled my finger, beckoning them forward.

Maybe they took it as a provocation because Icicle’s eyes narrowed for a moment before they charged straight at me.

“…”

Fast.

They were definitely fast.

An ordinary magical girl wouldn’t even be able to react.

But…

Whoosh!

Crack!”…?!”

I sidestepped the incoming slash and struck the flat of their sword with my fist.

As Icicle reeled from the impact, I jumped, grabbed them, and slammed them straight into the ground.

Whoosh—BOOM!

“Ghhk…?!”

The ground cracked beneath them from the sheer force of the impact.

Icicle lay at the center of the crater, dazed, staring up at me in shock.

Leaving them behind, I turned and walked toward Blaze and Leaf.

Even if I had been slacking off lately, no one had ever tried to engage me in close combat so boldly.

Their movements weren’t bad, but I had twenty years of experience.

Or did they think I’d be weak in close quarters just because I looked like an eight- or nine-year-old?

“You don’t need to engage in close combat just because I’m unarmed.”

No matter how they came at me—whether all at once or with different strategies—I slowly gathered my magic and declared,“You will never win.”

It wasn’t that I wouldn’t lose.

It was that I couldn’t lose.

Not to these kids.