Melody

  ***

  Having finished off another swarm of demons, I sat in a tree with Angelica, both of us having the familiar cinnamon buns. Ever since coming back from the camping trip, lots of things have happened. Given the incident, Charlotte was recognized as a potential saint, and earned a lot of attention. It’s tea parties galore for her, from everyone across the kingdom. Even Lloyd and Lna have been inviting her. Thankfully she’s been getting used to the attention, although she is still tired out from talking to high ranking nobles and even the Regents. Last time she invited me over, all she did was compin. I don’t bme her. Sometimes she’s been going to six tea parties a week! Is that a lot? For her, yeah. Luckily she isn’t hosting them otherwise it would be even more expensive than it already is. Last time I was there, her dad compined about having to order seven new dresses. Just for her.

  And it’s not just her who’s been getting attention. Her sister, Amber, has been getting her fair share of invitations too. I can’t help but feel bad for the two, but there’s nothing I can really do to help them. Neither as Evelyn or Melody. I can’t even offer her sanctuary by inviting her to tea parties of my own. All of that was thanks to that smartphone looking device that I left on my desk at home. Almost every day there was a call to help beat demons. It’s kind of annoying, but it comes with the job of a Magical Girl.

  Luckily they know not to call me up during school, which is about to start up again soon. How do they know that? Well, it’s simple. To help prevent troublesome foreign nobles from bothering me, the Sitting Regents and I decided to tell the leaders of the other kingdoms my true identity. I wanted to keep it a secret but to prevent a diplomatic incident, like when I climbed out that window, from happening again, we wanted them to prevent their nobles from bothering me too much. Will this work? Well, kind of? The only real foreign noble that bothered me was Levi, and he was already scolded by his parents, so we don’t know yet. Hopefully it works. We’ll see in the new year, lots of new students will be arriving after all.

  “Hey, do you have any more of those carrot cake cupcakes?” Angelica asked.

  “If you eat too much you’ll get fat.” I said, still giving her one.

  “I’ve never seen a fat bird in my lives.” She said, pecking at it.

  Yeah, I haven’t either, but I don’t want to be the cause of one. That aside, time for some cheating.

  “So, anything interesting going to happen next year?” I asked.

  “From the game?” She paused. “You already beat the demons in the city, and you probably already got the demon generals, so I don’t think so.”

  “Good to know.” I nodded.

  Yep! I’ve been using Angelica to help find any threats! Although given I was already defeating demons on such a rge scale, none of what she has to offer has been useful. That being said, she’s been helpful, and not just with demons.

  “Actually.” She spoke up. “Another capture target is about to enter.”

  “You can just use their names.” I said.

  “It’s your brother.” She said.

  “Oh, did we get along in the game?” I asked.

  “No, you regurly bullied him.” She said. “He was all gloomy and hostile to everyone around him.”

  “Well, I haven’t bullied him, so maybe we can get along?”

  “Do you really think so?” She looked at me doubtfully.

  Given our time together, we’ve talked plenty and she already knows of my “retionship” with my family. To put it simply, it’s not very good, or even deep. I can count on one hand when Auntie or Robbie spoke to me. Even with Uncle, I wouldn’t exactly describe our retionship as anything other than business like.

  “I hope so…” I sighed.

  Although it sounded bad, I wasn’t exactly alone. I had 38, Mrs.Griffin, and everyone else. Also I’ve taken some time off to visit Bke and Aura and all of them, not to mention Orion and Celestia, and all of the Shadows. So, I’m not exactly alone. That being said, the residence isn’t exactly homely. Or is it? I don’t actually spend much time there, so I’m not exactly sure if calling it homely is accurate or not.

  “Damn kid, you need a hug.” She said.

  “Oh it’s fine. I can get hugs whenever I want.” I said.

  That much is true. I can ask Orion and Celestia for hugs whenever I meet them, which is an almost biweekly occurrence. I can meet with them more often, but they said that I needed the “True rest” that is to be had without switching my bodies mid dream. I’m not sure if it’s working since I don’t feel any more rested or anything, but let’s trust them.

  “Hey, one dead earthling to another, but how old exactly were you when you died?” She asked.

  “13, you?” I responded.

  “You’re just a kid!” She said. “Why are you fighting monsters and demons when you’re just a kid!?”

  “Well, someone has to.” I said. “And it’s not like they’re that dangerous to me.”

  “There is something wrong with you.” She sighed.

  “Same with every Magical Girl!” I said proudly. “So, how old were you?”

  “I was like 46 or 47.” She said.

  “You don’t remember?” I asked.

  “When you’re in a dead end job like I was, you kind of stop caring.” She said.

  “I’m sorry I asked.” I said.

  “I’m the one who should be apologizing to you.” She said. “I didn’t realize that Magical Girls did so much work. Surely we could have helped even just a little.”

  “Don’t worry, there were plenty of Magical Girls back on Earth, and when things got too rough, we had the witches.” I said.

  Ah yes, the witches. I loved them. Given that they were former Magical Girls and still had some of their powers, they were very good role models for us, and helped us in many situations. Especially in the Christmas Incident.

  “Maybe in America, but there weren’t any behind the curtain.” She said, and then muttered. “The Soviets made sure of that.”

  “Yeah…” I looked to the sky. So many stories cut short. “We all knew the risks.”

  “You were 13.” She said. “You didn’t know anything.”

  “Maybe, but I had the potential to be one in the first pce.” I said. “But enough of that. What did you think of the hideout?”

  “You mean that cave?” She asked. “Can’t you just buy a farm house or something?”

  Yep, you heard that right. I have a hideout. Given everything that Angelica told me about the game, there is a chance that I might face execution or exile, so I need a pce to hide should things go south. I doubt it will, since after all, I am beating all the demons for everyone, but there is also the fact that Orion told me that the world was trying to kill me. For all I know, it could forcibly alter reality to try and have me killed. If it does, I’ll need a pce to hide out, and maybe do nothing and just py dead.

  As for why I chose a cave, well that’s some inspiration from Earth. There were these things called fallout shelters that were made as safe havens in the event another nuclear war broke out. Even without a bunker in them, the cheese caves are surprisingly resilient. One of them even withstood a direct attack from the rampaging Quetzalcoatl after a certain mind controlling parasite infected it. So a cave shall be my safe haven! Although I will eventually build a proper bunker there in the future. Although I need to convince Orion to teach me Creation magic first. So, baby steps.

  “Got to worry about that paper trail.” I said. “It can’t be linked to me whatsoever if I want it to be secret.”

  “And you don’t think they’re tracking you with that phone thing?” She asked.

  “Oh, they one hundred percent are.” I nodded.

  Upon first receiving this communication device, I realized that it was tracking me. Luckily I can block it with my magic, but that would tell them that I knew about it in the first pce. So, how do I deal with it? It’s simple, I leave it at home sometimes. My, how forgetful of me! Uncle keeps reminding me to make sure I have it on me, but I always seem to forget it whenever I’m visiting the cave. Although, that is a temporary solution. I’ll need a better one in the future before people start to get suspicious.

  “Isn’t that a bad thing?” She asked, worried.

  “Yep, but I’ll think of something.” I said.

  “I hope so…” She muttered, turning her attention back to the carrot cake cupcake.

  Following her example, I continued eating my cinnamon bun. Let’s leave the complicated thoughts alone for now and enjoy the moonlight…

  Robbie

  ***

  Sitting in a luxurious carriage, I stared absentmindedly out the window as I rode through the Imperial Capital. With all the magnificent buildings around me, I should be ecstatic, however I was far from it. The reason for my mood was my destination. It was the highest academy on the continent where many wish to go. Given it’s popurity, and to try and prevent any housing issues, students are offered dorm rooms for their stay. I am one of those students who will be using the dorms. Despite my family having a residence here, I am forced to share living quarters with others. As for why I’m forced to stay in the dorm? Well, I’d rather not say.

  But because of that issue, I could only bring a fraction of the items that I wanted. Not only that, but I can’t exactly have meals prepared for me whenever I want. Oh well, a scheduled day isn’t new to me. What will be new is not having any servants nearby. It’ll be inconvenient but I’ll manage. After all, the Twin Regents are in the same situation as me. If they can do it, so can I.

  Also maybe, just maybe I’ll get to see that so-called saint? News of her only spread recently, but it’s no surprise that the potential Saint is here of all pces. In fact, it would be odd if she wasn’t. Though I shouldn’t be concerned by that right now. For now, let’s get to the academy and figure out the dorm situation…

  ???

  ***

  Though the light displeases me, it's become an increasingly more crucial time for my kind. Every night that girl… That damned girl! Why is she so strong!? She’s not even a saint! A god! She must be a god! There’s no other possibility! Every one of my generals that faced her perished! Though I wished to say that they had noble deaths, that would be a lie! Only one of them even got the chance to even face her! The rest were-!

  No. I can’t focus on that. The Saint. Recently the Saint had awakened. I felt her power, even if it was only for a moment. The Saint had awakened and that is what I must focus on. Should I consume her, my powers will grow. Maybe then- No. Even after consuming the Saint my powers wouldn’t be nearly enough to face her. How many Saints must I consume? Four? Five? No, it would need to be in the tens so that I might be able to face her. Even then, I doubt my powers alone will be enough to match hers…

  Looking at that cursed sun, a sign of the goddess, I cursed her, yet I have reason to thank her. She may be my foe, and the enemy of every demon, yet now her light is our only salvation. The moons are nothing but a curse. Every night demons hide away in fear of catching her attention. Given that she is mostly active at night, I suspect that her powers are from the moons. The sun likely weakens her, and although the sun strengthens the Saint, she at her most powerful is a far more of a realistic target than that “Child of the Moon” that hunts us.

  Regardless, I will need to find a way to deal with her. Even if only temporarily…

  Grayburne