Since my Useless Working Sister and Other Troublemakers Became Magical Girls, I have no Choice but to Support Them. - Chapter 1-7: Monster that feeds on fear

Chapter 1-7: Monster that feeds on fear

“More importantly, continue your story.”

“Oh, right. …Pudding.”

After taking another bite of pudding, Rafio continued his story.

“It’s a peaceful world, but one of its residents—my friend—decided to destroy Earth.”

“Why would they do that? And also, destroy, not invade?”

I could understand invading for colonization, territory expansion, or resource extraction. That’s what real wars are about, and that’s why aliens invade in movies. But destruction?

“I don’t fully understand either. I think they just didn’t like it.”

“Didn’t like it?”

“They didn’t like the existence of a world more advanced, convenient, and wealthy than our own.”

So they decided to destroy our world out of childish jealousy.

Come to think of it, Rafio, in human form, looked like a child too.

“They look about the same age as me and are a skilled magician. I couldn’t stop their invasion in our world, so I had no choice but to seek help from the people of the invaded world.”

“So you came here and created the means to fight—magical girls.”

Rafio nodded.

“I created the magical girl system. I’m also a magician, after all. I couldn’t make many, and there are restrictions on who can transform.”

Earlier, he said only girls could transform. Hence, magical girls.

“Before talking about magical girls, I should explain Fear Eaters. They are the vanguard of the invasion. As their name suggests, they consume fear. To create fear, they attack people.”

Just like earlier, the umbrella monster attacked people, spreading fear.

“The invader dropped a core into this world, which fused with magic and this world’s materials to create pseudo-life forms. The core has that power.”

That’s why you can’t kill them without destroying the core.

“You can’t separate the core. When something is possessed, it gets destroyed along with the core.”

“Like how the umbrella was broken afterward?”

Rafio nodded at my question.

“Fear Eaters have another important characteristic. They attack humans to consume fear as their energy source. But their hunger for fear is never sated.”

“What do you mean?”

“The fear generated is sent to a huge main core in the Edeloode world. It’s not for the Fear Eater itself.”

“So the monster keeps rampaging endlessly to satisfy an insatiable hunger?”

“Exactly. Fear passes through their bodies momentarily on its way to the main core, so they might enjoy it a little.”

He said it with a hint of sarcasm.

“If you feel pity for the Fear Eaters, kill them as quickly as possible.”

He directed this to Aina, not me.

“Uh, yeah. Right.”

Aina, who had been quietly listening, gave a vague response while looking away. She didn’t seem keen on fighting. Neither was I.

“By the way, what happens if the main core gets filled with fear?”

“A giant, overwhelmingly powerful Fear Eater will be born and will destroy this world.”

“Oh no! I don’t want to do this anymore!”

Her tantrum aside, it wasn’t an appealing prospect.

Facing an ultimate monster in the future wasn’t something to look forward to.

“They can’t produce many cores. So the magical girls must defeat the Fear Eaters as they appear, delaying their plan. Meanwhile, I’ll try to develop ways to counter the strongest enemy. That’s the plan. First, we need to gather other magical girls.”

Rafio took two gems out of the bag hanging from his neck. One was yellow, the other blue.

“I only have two left. I can make more, but don’t expect many.”

“Tell me more about these magical girls.”

“Magical girls are the light of hope that brings salvation to people.”

“The light of hope.”

“Ah, I don’t even want to do my job, let alone become a magical girl.”

“Yes. The light of hope. And she’s that light of hope?.”

“She is.”

“That’s right. I might even bash that lousy boss’s head in! After all, I’m a magical girl!”

“Don’t do that.”

What light of hope talks about her plans of bashing her boss’s head?

Even Rafio was stunned by Aina’s pitiful state, but he cleared his throat and continued.

“The principle of magical girls is fundamentally the same as the core that creates Fear Eaters. However, it safely transforms a person’s appearance and is still reversible. It doesn’t take away the transformed person’s will.”

“So it’s safe.”

“Exactly. Feel free to relax with your new job.”

“It’s not that simple. Fighting is dangerous in itself.”

Rafio’s smug face annoyed me a bit. But what concerned me more was:

“If Fear Eaters are created by fusing magic and cores, is it the same for magical girls? Where does the magic come from?”

According to Rafio’s explanation, the cores themselves don’t contain magic.

“There’s plenty of magic in this land.”

Rafio tapped the table. He was actually indicating the land where this building stood—or rather, the entire city.

“This city alone has a magical leyline. That’s where the magical girls and Fear Eaters are created.”

So it’s the land. That’s why Rafio’s friend chose this place to gather fear. Fear Eaters can only be created here. Their wounds heal over time because they absorb the land’s magic.

Magical girls can only transform here as well.

“If we keep consuming magic here, it might eventually run out. If that happens, their plan will be thwarted.”

“Will it run out?”

“Maybe. When, I don’t know. A year, ten years, maybe a hundred.”

That’s too long-term. While time might be on our side, it’s still not a reliable way to win.