Since my Useless Working Sister and Other Troublemakers Became Magical Girls, I have no Choice but to Support Them. - Chapter 1-34: The Living Fear-Eater
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- Since my Useless Working Sister and Other Troublemakers Became Magical Girls, I have no Choice but to Support Them.
- Chapter 1-34: The Living Fear-Eater
Chapter 1-34: The Living Fear-Eater
“We’re almost there! Aina, transform!”
“Alright, alright. Light Up! Shiny Saber!”
Behind me, Aina’s voice rang out clearly.
Although I couldn’t see it, her body must have been enveloped in light. Instead, I felt warmth.
Light carries heat, and so does Saber.
“I see it! There it is!”
Leaping from rooftop to rooftop in the residential area, Rafio stopped on the roof of a house and stared intently at one spot.
Following his gaze, I saw a huge black shape soaring in the sky.
A streamlined body with a pair of wings. It was clearly bird-shaped.
As it flapped its wings, its cry was unmistakably that of a Fear-Eater. Its body was much larger than usual, and its beak and claws were significantly longer and sharper. Its face might have changed too. Among its originally black feathers, its eyes glowed eerily, as if determined to find and kill its prey.
“What is that?”
“It’s a bird. A crow, maybe?”
“It looks like it. Can Fear-Eaters be made from living creatures?”
“Apparently, yes.”
Rafio didn’t seem happy about it.
“It’s possible to use living creatures as material. Fear-Eaters can even be made from humans. After all, magical girls are essentially humans enhanced by core power, doing the same thing.”
“Whoa…”
Fighting a wild crow isn’t too distressing.
But in the future, we might have to face Fear-Eaters transformed from someone’s beloved pet or even humans.
“I understand your concern, Yuuma. But even I didn’t expect this.”
“Why? If it’s possible, why is it surprising?”
“It’s possible, but it shouldn’t be suitable. Living creatures have wills. That conflicts with the actions of a Fear-Eater, which thrives on fear. Living creatures don’t normally act to instill fear in others.”
“Really?”
Animals often act on instinct.
“An animal might attack out of instinct, like if a human corners it or if it sees humans as prey. But they don’t attack just to instill fear.”
The reason for an animal’s instinctive aggression and the desire to spread fear don’t align.
“The same goes for humans. Humans have reason. Sure, there are terrible people who enjoy scaring and hurting others. But that’s not normal. Even among abnormal people, those who attack solely to instill fear are rare. That creates a conflict.”
Whether it’s for some reward or personal pleasure, humans don’t have an innate desire to instill fear just for the sake of it. Animals are the same. So, their will conflicts with the Fear-Eater’s goal, making it hard for them to function.
Yet, the monster before us seemed to have overcome that problem.
“Hey, you two! No time for chatting!”
Liner sprinted forward. The crow Fear-Eater was folding its wings and diving towards the ground.
She’s right. We need to deal with the current threat before worrying about future ones.
Rafio, carrying us, also headed towards it. At the Fear-Eater’s landing point, there was a small boy holding a ball and a woman who appeared to be his mother.
The Fear-Eater’s sharp beak was about to strike them.
“Not on my watch!”
“Fiaaaaargh!”
Liner charged at the Fear-Eater’s belly mid-dive. The Fear-Eater noticed, spread its wings to slow down, and evaded by ascending again.
Liner’s flying kick hit a wall along the street. She absorbed the impact while landing, preventing any major damage.
“Get out of here! It’s dangerous! Go inside!”
“Y-yes!”
Rafio landed on the street to protect the mother and son. I warned them from his back. The mother, frightened, fled with her son in her arms.
“Should we warn the surrounding residents to stay indoors? Leave the Fear-Eater to the magical girls.”
“Got it. Aina, do it.”
“Okay. But hitting it is the problem.”
“Yeah…”
The Fear-Eater flew around above us, scanning the ground for prey.
This was the issue. Neither Saber nor Liner had long-range attacks. If the enemy stayed in the air, they couldn’t reach it.
We’d have to wait for it to come down and attack it then. The enemy only had its beak and claws for attacking, and its hunger for fear would eventually force it to move.
Meanwhile, as long as it flew around, its attack range was wide. We needed to warn people to stay away.
“Do your best to find a way to attack it.”
“Such vague instructions! You wouldn’t make a good boss like that!”
“Sorry.”
I felt a bit guilty, thinking she might be troubled by such bosses at work.
“Well, handling vague instructions is what makes me a great employee!”
“A great employee?”
I looked skeptically at Saber, who puffed out her flat chest.
“Hey! Why are you doubting me?!”
“Of course I doubt you. Anyway, I’m going.”
Rafio jumped with me on his back. We climbed onto a nearby rooftop to survey the area.
Word had spread about the monster, and there were no residents in sight.
“We’ll widen our patrol area. Circle around the Fear-Eater and drive away anyone you see.”
“Alright. The media and onlookers might start arriving soon.”
“Probably.”
We might not be able to drive them away.