Mr. Magical Girl

Chapter: 157. Mobilization Training – Departure Notice –

The time I spent unconscious wasn’t that long.

Just like before I fainted, Han Abin was still in front of me, and I could feel Baek Sihyeon embracing me before I collapsed.

So, if it’s excuses for losing, I could pile them up like a mountain.

In actual combat, excluding Baek Sihyeon, everyone would be dead, so I could say it was my victory.

This fainting was brief, so it’s not a big hit.

What’s the meaning of a strategy built on the premise of sacrifice from the start?

If I had released my limits, I could have blocked the final attack too.

Can an attack that sacrifices one’s own body be considered a normal attack?

Even now, such excuses continue to swirl in my mind.

Perhaps it’s because the result of the match was shocking to me as well.

The students’ attacks, which I thought wouldn’t reach me no matter what, actually hit my body for the first time and scored effective hits.

Whether it was a coincidence or due to my own constraints.

The students proved their growth to me.

It’s been a short time since I came this far.

I’ve used all my cards to get here.

So, I’ve built up another loss.

This can’t be happening.

Pfft.

A breath escaped my lips involuntarily.

Why do I feel like I’ve been losing strangely a lot lately?

The oxymoron and that unknown monster in Nanjido too. Now giving my students a win…

The Thunder God once said that defeats can become a habit, and I’m really scared that it might.

Then I should tidy up this mess.

“Let go.”

Sorting through my thoughts, I shook off Baek Sihyeon, who had clung to me.

“Uh…? Master, didn’t you just faint…?”

“Yeah, I fainted. But it’s no big deal.”

When I fought the Thunder God, this kind of thing happened in seconds. Once or twice is nothing.

I said that to reassure my students.

“It’s no big deal?”

For some reason, Han Abin’s voice turned upside down.

“Yeah, it’s no big deal. If I had fainted for like 30 minutes, that would be a different story. Fainting for 1 or 2 seconds during a fight happens often…”

The Cheonha Ilgyeom also fainted dozens of times a day when hit by my wooden hammer.

…Now that I think about it, is that why he got dumber?

I didn’t think deeply about the anger in Han Abin’s voice and loosely threw out those words while my mind wandered off.

“Senior. Please sit down for a moment.”

The consequence was harsh.

“Quickly!”

“Not a big problem…”

“Hurry!”

Han Abin leaned towards me as if someone had changed her.

“Alright, alright.”

Not being able to win against that pressure, I plopped down on the dirt floor.

“Senior, how many of these do you see right now?”

In front of me, Han Abin waved her fingers and asked.

“Do you remember where we are right now?”

“Mobilization training, training ground.”

“We were just doing that, right?”

“We were sparring.”

“Then, please extend your hand.”

“Sure.”

“Grab it.”

…What is she trying to do?

Should I just grab it?

“Now let go.

Let go.

“Let me take off your boots for a second.”

Why suddenly that?

I wanted to say that, but under Han Abin’s strange pressure, I couldn’t.

Before I knew it, my feet were bare.

“Move your toes.”

Wiggle, wiggle.

There’s no way that sound can be heard, but I moved them as enthusiastically.

To reassure Han Abin, who seemed to be in a strange state.

Despite my efforts,

“Bend your knees.”

She grabbed the insides of my knees and thighs.

“What the…”

“Bend your knees.”

Hah.

Even though I bent my knees, Han Abin’s serious expression didn’t fade.

After making me do elbow exercises, breathing exercises, wrist rotations, and other impossible tasks, she finally started checking my heartbeat with a stethoscope that came from who knows where.

“No arrhythmia or anything. You seem to be really fine.”

…So I said it wasn’t necessary.

What kind of commotion is this?

“Not necessary? Do you not know how dangerous fainting can be? You may seem fine now, but if there’s a problem somewhere invisible, you could suddenly collapse!”

Hmm. That doesn’t apply to me, right?

Thinking that while half-listening to Han Abin’s long lecture, the nagging continued.

…You taking that hit from Baek Sihyeon, were you worried she might injure herself, right? You probably thought you could handle the hit? Those are all fine. But you should consider your safety too. Is it really okay to push yourself to the point of fainting in such a casual spar…?

Hmm. It’s still ongoing.

…Earlier, you said you’d celebrate our victory, but you should also understand how we felt when we heard that. How do you think we’d feel if you suddenly collapsed right in front of us? If you think that way, you shouldn’t have done this in the first place…

When will this end?

If I leave it be, it seems like it could go on all day. Is there some good method?

Thinking about that, I turned my head and saw the good method I was looking for.

“Are you not listening to what I’m saying right now? You need to listen to me properly without turning your head…”

The nagging from the spar began to trigger a chain reaction regarding my attitude, but I spit out the words to cut it off.

“Abin, I said fainting is dangerous, didn’t I?”

“Yes! Even a short faint can lead to chronic conditions if the cause isn’t identified…”

“Then what about those guys?”

As I said that, I pointed to somewhere.

“Who are you talking about?”

Han Abin’s gaze followed my finger.

To the fainted people at the tip of my finger.

To be specific, to Chris, who fainted on the ground due to a lack of mana, and to the martial artists who were bubbling at the mouth.

…Chris! Uncle Li! Get it together!”

Perhaps seeing that heap of corpses snapped her back to reality, Han Abin screamed and finally turned her attention away from me, rushing over there.

Finally, it had quieted down a bit.

Thinking that, I turned to the last one remaining by my side.

“Aren’t you worried about me?”

“Master, are you okay?”

“Well, you’re probably fine! Master, you’re invincible!”

That’s just as bothersome.

I just recently lost.

Hearing Baek Sihyeon’s absent-minded comments, I thought that.

After that, there were a few more sparring matches, but my students didn’t snatch victory from me again.

Baek Sihyeon and Han Abin’s combo techniques, having been hit once, were no different from the techniques I already knew, and the combination with the martial artists or Chris was full of holes.

That doesn’t mean they weren’t improving, though.

Chris’s animals had learned to fight more efficiently and stepped away from their initially free and easy combat style.

The martial artists had learned not to faint out of fear of my energy and how to wield powerful strength.

Li Shuguang even showed off using my foot techniques.

In a way, they might have learned even more than our students.

Well, aside from that, the mobilization training remained quiet.

Just like other places I visited, there were no incidents, and everything went on normally.

Unlike me, Baek Sihyeon and Han Abin seemed to have good social skills, making friends with the female soldiers and chatting, but I spent more time alone in the lodging watching TV.

“Hey, stuffed bear over there.”

“Could you repeat what the queen said?”

“…Bears don’t know that kind of stuff. Bears can’t talk.”

In the lodgings, left alone with that damn bear, I asked about that day’s events over and over, but the damn thing hadn’t clearly stated the core attack since then.

Since that day, it acted all cute and simple, showing no signs of seriousness.

Was that day’s event really a reality?

Was it all a dream or fantasy?

Each time those thoughts tried to take over my mind, something else came to push them aside.

‘That’s reality. An undeniable reality.’

A whisper that seemed to echo directly in my mind, speaking to me.

Reality that couldn’t be denied existed right there.

Should I change the mood a bit?

“Chris’s power… is it some kind of coercive force based on necromancy?”

When I think about it, that makes sense.

Still, necromancy and spirit types are unorthodox, and aside from Calavera, I’ve hardly seen any.

“That’s a supplementary means. The spirits possess free will and follow Chris, who saved them. A pretty cool story, isn’t it?”

Oh, I see.

In the end, it’s true that the body was destroyed.

Still, seeing it babbling excitedly, I felt I could extract more information now.

“So, what about the way to go?”

“Bears don’t know that kind of stuff either.”

Hah.

With no gains whatsoever, the mobilization training approached its last day.

“Thank you very much for trusting us and following the mobilization training without any incidents.”

The dim voice of a man on the platform echoed through the auditorium.

Of course, I stared at it with a disinterested face, just like during the admission ceremony.

Why do these high-ups like stepping up so much?

Do they really think like that in this kind of atmosphere?

Thinking that, I shook off my drowsiness and looked around.

Unlike the admission ceremony, many heroes had slumped down.

Although they seemed somewhat tense at the start of the mobilization training, was it because they thought of going home, or did they become accustomed to weeks of tension?

Now that a single sentence had just come from the commander, about half of them were already staring blankly at the dust floating in the air or with their heads buried in the ground, dozing off.

“Gwaaaah.”

The student next to me was snoring loudly.

This time, it seemed like Han Abin had no intention of stopping him.

In such utter chaos, one must be quite shameless to step up to that platform.

I’d probably be unable to do it even if asked.

So maybe that’s why I can’t become one of those high-ups.

…This nearby area’s hostile monitoring rate has shown a decreasing trend due to the passionate efforts of the heroes…

Regardless of the surrounding situation, the commander on the platform continued his speech, unfaltering.

I’m so sleepy.

Doze.

•I believe that through this, the heroes will once again realize the importance of mobilization training…

Doze.

Just the moment I thought I was sleepy, my head began to droop.

•Finally, I’ll talk about the Hokkaido incident.

My eyes flew open at the words that flowed from the commander’s mouth.

What did he just say?

“Despite appearances, I too participated in the battles during the period of human survival. I was a soldier back then, though.”

The power began to pour into the commander’s voice.

The gentle and sleepy voice vanished, and a soldier’s commanding voice echoed through the speakers.

“Hokkaido Great Barrier has collapsed, and the current situation is reminiscent of that time. The era when we risked everything for human survival.”

Even if it was a speech no one listened to, he held his head high and shone brightly on the platform.

“Many heroes present here may not remember that time. You may not know how the current peace was achieved or what sacrifices it was built upon.”

“Of course, I’m not forcing you to relive such a resurrection. I only have one request.”

Whir.

For some reason, a howling phenomenon erupted from the speaker that had shown no problems just moments before.

However, the man on the platform spoke compellingly enough to overshadow that.

“I sincerely hope you become stronger. Not for anyone else, but for yourselves. For your family and friends. I hope you become strong enough to protect humanity.”

How many will have fully heard that request?

Most might have tuned out.

“Then, I will conclude the first mobilization training.”

Even as the commander left the platform, no one showed interest.

It wasn’t until a soldier came up to announce the guidelines that everyone started stretching and phone notifications rang out.

No one cared.

In that indifference.

I quietly lowered my head.

So no one would see.

So no one would understand my expression.

A sprout began to bloom.

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