Chương 46: Chapter 12 When the World Started Watching(Part 3)

The Gates had activated. Well. That didn't take long. I leaned forward in my chair.

"Monsters?" That was the obvious conclusion. If the Gates were opening, then something had probably crawled out. Mochida and Chiyoda exchanged a glance. Then Chiyoda shook his head.

"No."

"... No?"

"No monsters." That caught me off guard. If monsters weren't the problem, then why the emergency? Chiyoda slid the briefcase across the table.

"Your assistance has been requested." I stared at it. A briefcase. Large enough to contain equipment. Body armor, maybe. Some sort of government-issued protective gear. Finally. The authorities were taking things seriously. I flipped it open. Then immediately closed it.

"No." Chiyoda raised an eyebrow.

"No?"

"This is clothing."

"It is."

"This is not combat equipment."

"It isn't." I reopened the case. A black gothic dress. Red ribbon. Lace gloves. Matching boots. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. Cosmetics. Enough accessories to outfit a magical girl convention. I slowly looked up. Chiyoda was smiling. The bastard.

"You expect me to fight monsters wearing this?"

"There are no monsters." He folded his arms.

"The problem is Akihabara."

"... Akihabara."

"Thousands of civilians have gathered around the Gate." Ah. That kind of disaster.

"Police are attempting crowd control."

"And failing."

"Spectacularly." That sounded about right.

"The majority are demanding to see First." I covered my face with one hand. Of course they were. Naturally. Why wouldn't they be? One livestream. One public appearance. And suddenly everyone wanted to meet the mysterious magical girl. Humanity was exhausting.

"I am not an idol."

"I know." Chiyoda nodded. Then pointed directly at me.

"But you are an icon." I grimaced. He continued mercilessly.

"A beautiful young girl."

"Stop."

"A mysterious figure."

"Stop."

"The first person to enter a Gate."

"Please stop."

"The world currently sees you as—""I get it." Unfortunately. I got it. Far too well.

"If you ask them to leave, they'll listen."

"I doubt that."

"You're wrong." The confidence in his voice was disturbing. Apparently everyone believed in my influence except me. I sighed.

"Fine." Relief immediately appeared on his face. That was almost insulting.

"What exactly do you want me to do?"

"Encourage them to disperse."

"And?"

"Announce your affiliation with the government." There it was. The second objective. Political protection. A public declaration that I belonged to Japan. Not some foreign nation. Not some independent organization. Japan. Honestly? I didn't care. I had no intention of leaving anyway.

"Transportation?"

"Helicopter." I immediately frowned.

"I dislike helicopters."

"Unfortunately, traffic is impossible." Fair point. Akihabara was probably packed. I looked down at the outfit again. Then sighed. A very long sigh.

"Fine."

"Excellent."

"I've never applied makeup before."

"Mochida will help." Mochida looked surprisingly pleased. That should have worried me. A lot.

The makeover took entirely too long. Apparently there were rules. Foundations. Brushes. Powders. Things. Many things. Far too many things. I stopped paying attention halfway through. Eventually Mochida stepped back.

"There." I looked in the mirror. Black dress. Red ribbon. Twin tails. Again. Why was it always twin tails? I was beginning to suspect a conspiracy.

"Looks good."

"It does." That wasn't the problem. The problem was that I looked exactly like the kind of person who should be selling magical friendship instead of fighting monsters. A knock came at the door.

"We're ready to depart." I stood. Then paused.

"How far is Akihabara?"

"Approximately four kilometers." Four kilometers. I blinked. Then smiled. Slowly. A terrible idea entered my mind. The best kind.

"Actually." Mochida suddenly looked nervous.

"Actually?"

"I'll fly." Silence. Complete silence.

"... Fly."

"Yes."

"Through the air."

"That's generally how flying works." Mochida opened and closed her mouth several times. Like a goldfish experiencing an existential crisis.

"You can do that?"

"I use magic."

"That's not an answer."

"It absolutely is." If I was going to appear before thousands of people, I might as well commit to the performance. A dramatic entrance never hurt anyone. Usually. Mochida rubbed her forehead. Then asked the most important question.

"Do you need a broom?" I pointed at her.

"Now you're thinking."

A few minutes later she returned carrying a sasumata. A police catchpole. I stared. She stared. We both knew this wasn't a broom.

"Best we could find." Honestly? It wasn't bad. The two-pronged shape looked almost ceremonial. A little like a trident. A little like a staff. Close enough.

"I'll take it." The rooftop helipad of the Metropolitan Police Headquarters stretched before me. Far below, people moved like ants. In the distance stood the Gate. A dark ring against the evening sky. The world had changed. Some people sought wealth. Others sought power. Others simply wanted hope. Different dreams. Different reasons. The same destination. I mounted the catchpole sideways. Like a broom. Because if I was doing this, I was doing it properly. Mochida looked horrified.

"You're actually serious."

"Of course." The wind tugged at my hair. The evening air felt cool. Comfortable. I closed my eyes. Centered myself. Then spoke quietly.

"Let's show them a dream." Magic gathered around me. The world became lighter. My body followed. And moments later, I stepped off the edge. Mochida screamed. Reasonable reaction. I drifted downward for half a second. Then accelerated forward. The city spread beneath me. Lights. Buildings. Roads. People. For a brief moment, Tokyo looked beautiful. Then Akihabara came into view. And so did the crowd. Thousands of people surrounded the Gate. Police barriers. Emergency vehicles. News helicopters. Chaos.

The perfect stage. I smiled. Then descended.