“So… are there any limitations to how much I can use this A.R HUD thing? It’s awfully convenient...” I asked as I made my way out of our townhouse.

  Rai-chan's flat robotic voice chimed in, “Activating the HUD consumes fifteen units of mana per hour from your reserves, suspending your native regeneration. Continuous use without replenishment will result in forced deactivation. I can perform improvised HUD draws on demand, in addition to the base functions. You may experiment if you so choose.”

  "Of course," I muttered, squinting at the skyline. Buildings that once reached for the skies now stood like broken, half-eaten skeletons.

  It was a surreal sight, juxtaposing the fleeting memories of a bustling city from my toddlerhood against the eerie silence and dilapidation.

  I toggled the HUD on again, noting the heads-up display shimmering into existence. It provided real-time data—my current vitals, relative location, time, weather forecast, and, most interestingly, a little MP bar at the top right corner which currently displayed ‘98/102 MP’.

  So I had already used some of it, probably through the morning Q&A we’d done.

  The streets of the Lower-East Side I walked on were far from the busy avenues they once were. They still bore the scars of battles fought, and while the streets had been cleaned up, there were still unfilled craters and rubble littering their expanse. From a distance, I could hear the soft hum of activity as the settlers tried to breathe life back into their city.

  As I made my way through the quiet streets, a soft ping from Rai-chan drew my attention. "Ikki, you might be interested in a live broadcast from the Financial District. It appears to be a send-off ceremony for the Magical Girls who aided Earth."

  I raised an eyebrow, a spark of curiosity igniting within me. "Oh? They're leaving today?"

  "Technically not until tomorrow morning, but the send-off is scheduled for today. You should be able to make it to the viewing area if you hurry," she replied, her voice steady and informative.

  A sudden eagerness filled me, and I picked up my pace. "Okay, plot a route for me. Let's go check it out. It's only like a ten-minute walk anyway."

  "Affirmative," Rai-chan responded, and the HUD flickered, showing a pulsating red dot at my destination and a dotted line leading the way.

  I followed the navigation, the streets becoming more populated as I approached the Financial District. People were already gathering, the air filled with a sense of anticipation and gratitude for the Magical Girls who had given so much for our world. Some carried handmade signs of thanks, others simply looked on with a mix of hope and sadness in their eyes.

  I couldn't help but wonder about the lives these girls had left behind on Terra. As far as I could tell, the girls helping us out could be as young as ten and no older than their mid-twenties.

  What sort of life had they given up to help people on a planet they didn't know? The more I thought about it, the stranger it seemed.

  The towering portal stood enclosed by a structure resembling an airport terminal. Concrete and glass dominated its sleek, modern design. Yet ornate metalwork climbed its walls, pulsing gently with an otherworldly glow. It was a perfect fusion, functional yet distinctly Terran.

  Inside the building, the theme continued. Large murals depicting scenes from both Earth and Terra adorned the walls. One showed a bustling marketplace, filled with people from both worlds, exchanging goods and ideas. Another depicted a group of Terrans and Earthlings working together to rebuild a cityscape, symbolizing the cooperation between worlds. These murals were a monument to the hope for a brighter, more integrated future.

  I watched the ceremony from the crowd's outskirts, trying to blend in. The atmosphere was thick with emotion, a mixture of relief, gratitude, and sadness. There were roughly two dozen magical girls, most in their teens, and some as young as ten or eleven.

  Each of the girls was different in their appearance and demeanor. Some were laughing and joking with one another while others seemed more reserved, quietly talking with the people around them.

  But my eyes settled on a girl around my height with pink hair. Her pink locks cascaded down her shoulders in soft waves, and her smile was wide and infectious. There was a brightness in her eyes, a sparkle that seemed to draw everyone's attention.

  It was unmistakable. She was the girl who'd saved Izumi and me from the Beowulves weeks ago.

  I could feel my heart pounding as I approached her, the crowd of people parting around me. It felt like I was in a dream, or like I was watching someone else move.

  She stood among a group of girls, all of them dressed in various costumes, but her presence commanded attention. The girls around her were talking animatedly, laughing and sharing stories, while she seemed content to listen, occasionally interjecting with a witty comment or a nod of agreement. But as I watched her, I noticed something more. Beneath the dazzling smile and the confident posture, there seemed to be a hint of something I couldn't quite place when her friends weren't looking at her.

  "Rai-chan," I thought, "Who's that girl?"

  "The Magical Girl in the center is known as 'Celestial Sonata' on Earth," she replied. "She was the first to arrive in our world on this expedition. However, her actual identity is classified and I'm afraid I am not authorized to access that data."

  "Well, that's a given. Secret identities and all that," I murmured, my gaze still on the girl. "But something about her feels different. She's got a presence, you know? Like she's the center of the universe for everyone around her."

  "Indeed, Celestial Sonata is an SS-Rank Magical Girl, a prodigy of sorts," Rai-chan explained. "The Hammurabi Nexus has a ranking system for Magical Girls, and the ranks are divided into seven categories: E, D, C, B, A, S, and SS. A-Rank girls are hailed as the elites, possessing exceptional skills and powers. They often become the faces of the Magical Girl corps, leading and inspiring their fellow girls. S-Rank Magical Girls are generational talents, embodying extraordinary strength and ability that sets them apart. They are the rarest of the rare, often becoming symbols of hope and strength."

  "And the SS-Rank?" I asked, my interest piqued.

  "SS-Rank and S-Rank Magical Girls are so far beyond their peers in power and capability that they're considered to be on a different plane of existence altogether," Rai-chan elaborated. "The SS-Rank designation is not too far apart from S-Rank in terms of raw capability. What sets them apart is that they have completed two or more solo operations against Duke-Class Aberrants."

  "D-Duke-Class?" I murmured. "Alone?!"

  "Indeed. She has two confirmed kills on record."

  Chaos beasts and other Aberrations ranged from Knave-class — not much more dangerous than a wild dog with rabies; to Emperor-class — surreal mind-bending abominations that could easily wipe out all life on a planet. There were only a handful of Aberrants that reached the level of an Emperor in history, and the one that had appeared on Earth in my childhood had laid waste to the entire world. It was thanks to the efforts of Magical Girls and the Terran Military that humanity managed to weather the storm of its initial onslaught.

  The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.

  Duke-class monsters were the second most dangerous tier of Aberrants, practically speaking. From what we'd learned from Terra's broadcast, only the highest ranked Magical Girls could even face them in teams of five or more, and even then, casualties were expected. They were bad enough on their own, but the tides of Baron through Marquis-class creatures they brought with them were horde leaders in their own right.

  They appeared about as frequently as Category Five hurricanes or bad earthquakes near massive population centers, and all the girls in a region would need to come together to fight off the ensuing Chaos Event. These monsters hadn't appeared on Earth since the conclusion of the Fourth Chaos War, but we'd seen our share of Knave to Viscount class beasts. The damage they caused was enough to make it clear why Terra had so many people that chose to become Magitech Soldiers and mech pilots. It was either that or death.

  After all, Viscount-class chaos beasts could already cause untold destruction. They were the kind of thing that could easily wipe out a vulnerable settlement like New York City in a matter of days, if not hours without the Terrans. If a Duke-class monster somehow materialized on Earth in its current state, it would likely decimate everything within a thousand miles and maybe beyond.

  And to hear that there were people out there who could face one of those things alone...

  "Rai-chan, is that really possible?" I asked.

  "Of course," she replied flatly. "It's the primary role of an SS-Rank Magical Girl to handle Chaos Events of Duke-class or higher. In fact, the current roster of active-duty Magical Girls are the result of a century of heavy investment from the Terran institutions to bolster their elites' ranks to a high enough number to ensure no single point of failure. The talent from the previous generation is said to be the strongest in history. The efforts have paid off, as no Duke or above has been able to eradicate any of Terra's major city-states since the end of the Third Chaos War."

  That was news to me. But I supposed the Earth's media was only interested in reporting on whatever would draw the most eyeballs to their broadcasts. Actual statistics and history were secondary to the drama and action that the Magical Girls and their battles brought, and what they meant for Earth.

  Celestial Sonata’s blue dress was adorned with intricate pink and blue waves that fluttered like an aurora while she moved, and her boots were blue with a pink trim. She wore a choker with an eight-point star with a pink gem in the center, which chimed softly as she turned her head. There was also a tiara with a pink and blue gem resting atop her head, perfectly positioned in her vibrant hair.

  As I continued to watch her, I noticed how her laughter seemed to echo throughout the city block, captivating everyone around her. Yet, underneath the laughter, there was something else. Her eyes seemed distant, almost as if she was looking at something far beyond the crowd. It was a peculiar contrast, and it intrigued me.

  "Rai-chan, what do you think she's thinking about?"

  "Beats me. I'm not a mind reader."

  …

  "Wow," I laughed, caught off guard by her sudden bluntness. "Did the AI just sass me?"

  "Negative, Ikki," Rai-chan's voice chimed in, devoid of any emotion or inflections. "It was a statement based on fact. I do not have the capability to read minds. Although, I could give an analysis of her body language and facial cues."

  "Huh, never mind. That's not important right now," I mumbled. "It's just… there's something about her that just doesn't add up."

  As the ceremony progressed, each girl stepped forward to say a few words of gratitude to the people. Some were more emotional than others, but all of them expressed their joy at being able to help.

  The girl I had been watching stepped forward, her smile still radiant.

  "Thank you, everyone," she said, her voice echoing through the plaza. "We came to your world not knowing what to expect, but you welcomed us with open arms. You trusted us, even though we were strangers from another world. That trust meant more to us than you can ever imagine. We are grateful to have had the opportunity to work alongside all of you."

  Celestial Sonata took a deep breath, her gaze sweeping over the crowd. "But now, it's time for us to return home. We have our own world to protect, our own families and friends waiting for us. Know that we'll never forget you, and we hope you won't forget us either. With any luck, our hearts will find each other again one day."

  Her words were heartfelt and sincere, and they resonated deeply with the audience. As she stepped back into the line of Magical Girls, the crowd burst into applause, cheering and whistling. The other girls joined in the ovation, hugging and congratulating her. Celestial Sonata smiled, but her eyes remained distant. I couldn't help but wonder what was going on behind those eyes.

  As I continued to observe her, my gaze shifted to a group of men in military uniforms standing nearby. They had a mix of expressions, ranging from admiration to skepticism. One man, in particular, caught my eye. He was tall, with short-cropped blonde hair and a stern face. His uniform was different from the others, adorned with more medals and insignia. He looked at Celestial Sonata with an expression that was somewhere between respect and curiosity. It was like he was trying to figure her out, just as I was.

  "Who's that guy?" I asked, my curiosity getting the best of me.

  "That's Colonel Zach Thompson, the commander of the New York City Defense Corps," Rai-chan informed me. "He's a decorated soldier, known for his strategic mind and leadership skills. He was in charge of counter-insurgency operations against the Apocalypse Cults of the Fourth Chaos War."

  "I see," I nodded. "I guess he must have worked closely with the Magical Girls during their stay here. No wonder he's so interested in them."

  The ceremony drew to a close, and the girls began to disperse. I watched as Celestial Sonata walked away, her long, flowing hair swaying with each step. Her companions surrounded her, their chatter and laughter filling the air.

  A short blonde girl in a military-esque costume with a beret walked at the back of the group, frowning as a hyperactive girl in a stormy, dark blue and purple dress chattered away at her. Another trio of girls dressed in matching black and red dresses were giggling at the two's antics. Yet, the pink-haired girl seemed detached from the group, her mind elsewhere.

  "Let's get outta here," I mumbled.

  The thought of her lingered in my mind, a mystery I couldn't quite unravel, as I turned to leave the plaza ahead of the crowd.

  As I walked away, Rai-chan's voice echoed in my mind, her tone inquisitive. "She's an interesting one, isn't she?"

  I nodded, a thoughtful expression on my face. I must’ve looked crazy talking to myself. "Yeah, she is. Has a way with crowds, she does."

  Rai-chan agreed, her voice thoughtful. "Indeed. It's a remarkable skill to be able to command the attention of so many people. It's almost like magic in itself."

  I chuckled at her observation. "Almost, yeah. But there's something more to her, I think. Something beneath the surface."

  "You seem intrigued," Rai-chan noted, her voice curious.

  I shrugged, my mind wandering back to the flowing pink locks. "Maybe I am. She's just so different from the others. But eh, not really my place to speculate."

  "Perhaps," Rai-chan responded, her tone indicating a slight amusement. "But speculation can often lead to discovery."

  I laughed, shaking my head. "You're starting to sound like a philosopher, Rai-chan."

  "Am I now?" she asked, her voice taking on a playful tone.

  "Okay, you're definitely messing with me there," I observed, my eyebrow raised in amusement.

  Rai-chan's voice returned to its usual flat, emotionless tone. "I'm just a program, Ikki. Nothing more."

  I snorted, "Yeah, right. We'll see about that. Anyway, let's get going. We have errands to run, and we're on a schedule, remember?"

  With a determined step, I continued on my path through the city streets, leaving the plaza and the enigmatic Magical Girl behind. The crowd of people thinned out, and soon I was back on my own, navigating the broken streets of the Lower-East Side. But even as the distance between us grew, the memory of the pink-haired girl and her elusive smile lingered in my mind.

  I'd probably never see her again, but I was grateful that she'd saved me and my sister. If there were more people like her and the other Magical Girls on Terra, maybe my life there would be more bearable than I thought. It was a nice thing to consider, at least.

  If I were to ever have kids, I'd have one heck of a story for them. It was like getting saved by Superman as a kid and having that story for the rest of your life. It was a nice thought.

  A once-in-a-lifetime moment that made everything a little better for a short while.

  …

  Boy, was I ever wrong about that one—but I didn't know it then.