Off Work, Then I Become a Magical Girl
Book 2: Chapter 61: Dispute and Sincerity

Vol 2 Chapter 61: Dispute and Sincerity

Veronica's "evidence" was clearly beyond the other two’s understanding.

“Tied in a knot… so, what exactly does that mean?”

Asou Madoka hesitated. “Isn't magical armor made of magic? Whether it's knotted or not should be up to you, right? Just dispel it and summon it again.”

“I want to emphasize—I didn’t do anything to the magical armor myself.”

Veronica held her hands out, completely still. “You can sense the magic flow in the armor. There’s no external force acting on it. In other words, the ‘knotted form’ has already become its natural state. Every time I summon my magical armor, it’s already knotted.”

“So… does that affect your combat at all?”

Asou Madoka raised a brow. “Like interfering with your armor’s functions?”

“Not really.”

Veronica shook her head. “Aside from a small knot along the threads, I don’t feel anything. Even I have to really focus to notice it.”

“Then it doesn’t affect anything at all, does it?” Asou Madoka frowned. “That’s hardly enough to justify taking such a huge risk.”

“But the fact that it’s knotted means I’ve lost a certain level of control.”

Veronica stressed, “A Magical Girl who can’t fully control her magical armor—that’s an abnormality.”

“Isn’t that pretty common with newbies? Mistakes happen when their magical armor isn’t well-developed yet.” Asou Madoka scoffed. “Maybe you’ve just been out of practice lately, so your precision’s slipped.”

“I’m no rookie. And even if my control slipped a bit, it wouldn’t be to this extent.”

“Then just treat it as a minor issue and forget it. As long as it doesn’t affect your combat, there’s no problem.”

“I can’t just forget it.”

“…Then what do you want to do, sis? Earlier you said it was for recovery—fine. But now you’re seriously considering sneaking into the Kingdom over a knot in your thread? And risk getting killed?”

Asou Madoka let out a breathless laugh. “What do you want me to say? Should I kneel down and act out how to untie it? Then beg you not to do anything that stupid?”

“Calm down, Madoka.” Veronica’s expression was blank. “This isn’t hard to understand. It points to a deeper problem.”

“I am calm. If you’ve got a point, then make it. Don’t play riddles.” Asou Madoka’s voice grew sharper.

The atmosphere in the Director’s Office grew tenser.

Veronica looked up in silence, staring at Madoka. Madoka didn’t speak either, but stared back. Even with her sunglasses between them, it felt like sparks were flying.

Neither said another word.

Maybe this too was a kind of tacit understanding. They both knew—at moments like this, saying one more word might only escalate things. And once the words turned poisonous, the small crack between them could grow into something neither of them wanted.

Just then, while the silence lingered, Hong Siyu, who had been observing quietly, reached out and tugged at the magical thread Veronica was holding. She pulled at it twice and then shaped it into a new form.

“Look—doesn’t this look like a tower?” she held it up for them to see.

Both Veronica and Asou Madoka turned to look at her simultaneously.

The synchronized motion made Hong Siyu’s shoulders jolt. A thin layer of sweat appeared on her forehead, but she forced herself to press on through the pressure of the silence. “I just… saw you holding the thread like that and it reminded me of a game I used to play. I reacted on instinct…”

She continued fiddling with the thread in her hands, changing the tower shape into a more complex polygon. “See? It’s… kind of fun, right?”

But still, no one said a word.

So she kept going, flipping the string again. This time, it became the shape of a parachute. Her voice was rigid as she said, “Tower turns into parachute…”

Finally, it was Asou Madoka who moved first.

Expressionless, she took two steps forward. Under Hong Siyu’s tense gaze, she reached out—and took the string from her hands.

She twisted the magical thread into the shape of a suspension bridge.

Then handed the bridge over to Veronica.

“…Thanks, but I’m not playing.”

Interrupted by this small scene, the tense air eased just a bit. Veronica sighed and took the thread back into her hands, letting it reform and settle: “Anyway, even if you don’t agree with me, I still believe this plan is necessary. This little knot isn’t just a knot—it’s a sign of a new side effect.”

“In other words, since I can no longer develop or improve my magical armor myself, any change in its form must be the result of subconscious influence from my true form.”

Looking down at the shapes they’d made earlier with the thread, Veronica ignored Hong Siyu’s mildly accusatory expression and let the thread dissolve into sparkling motes of magic. “Which means, if I ignore my current injuries, more side effects will follow. This time it’s a knot. Next time—who knows? The risk is too great. I have to deal with it.”

There was something else she didn’t say—because even she wasn’t sure if it was true.

Her magical armor, Weaving Fate, had three components. One of them—the “thread”—symbolized fate. A knot in the thread of fate… no matter how you looked at it, that couldn’t be a good omen.

Though she was an adult in mind, and didn’t really believe in fortune-telling, Weaving Fate was her magical armor. It was hard not to draw those connections.

The crisis in Fangting City, the looming threats of Black Cinders Dawn and Claw Mark, the pressure of protecting the children, the struggle for revenge for Aya, the warning sign from her armor—all of it was screaming at Veronica: You need strength—now.

And to reclaim her strength, between the two prior options—White Wolf and Emerald—at least Emerald had slightly more credibility. Neither was great, but sometimes you had to choose the lesser evil.

“To be honest, I still don’t fully get it. I’m just really worried, sis.”

Asou Madoka finally spoke again, giving a bitter smile. “All I care about now is you all staying safe. What happened to Aya was already too much. I don’t want anyone else getting hurt. So when you said ‘I might get executed,’ I lost it. That’s why I said what I did. I’m sorry.”

“…Thank you for worrying. I understand. And if it were the old me, I would’ve agreed with you.”

Veronica lowered her gaze. “You’re not wrong, Madoka.”

“But I’ve come to realize after everything we’ve been through—just wishing for peace and stability isn’t enough to keep them.”

“Just like how I used to believe the Great Beast Disaster was the end of it all, and that I could enjoy a peaceful life; or how Hong Siyu worked so hard in the Countermeasure Bureau, never making enemies… We all thought we could return to calm. But the truth is, peace without strength isn’t real peace.”

“There’s no such thing as a truly ‘safe’ choice. If I wait until next year to go to the Kingdom, would it really be safer? Who knows what might happen in that time? Can we guarantee next year will be any better? We just follow logic, hoping it will reduce risk.”

“But fate doesn’t care about logic. Sometimes it’s kind. But more often, it mocks you. The only thing that makes me feel safe now is having power—having control.”

“That’s why I’m here. Why I became Director of the Countermeasure Bureau. Because I couldn’t trust anyone else with our safety. Call it a lust for power, call it paranoia—I want to be the one in control.”

“So this time is the same. I don’t want to wait another year. I want to take the initiative.”

She looked up at Asou Madoka. “That’s how I really feel.”

She said no more after that. She waited—not for understanding, not to debate—but for a reaction. A look. A gesture. That would be enough.

That would show how Madoka truly felt—and would determine Veronica’s next move.

If she supported her, great. If she didn’t, even if she opposed her—it wouldn’t be unexpected.

Because the past and the present were different. The three of them from the old Fangting Squad might all be gathered here, but time couldn’t be rewound.

Especially Asou Madoka. She had joined the Magic Kingdom and had worked at the Investigation Bureau for years—longer than the time she had spent as Veronica’s teammate. From that angle, she had no reason to support this plan.

As a Magical Girl of the Investigation Bureau, Madoka had every reason to shut this down. But she hadn’t. Instead, she stood in her old teammate’s shoes, considering her safety. That was already more than Veronica could ask for.

Everything they’d talked about until now—visiting Aya, looking for Su Shengzi, even preparing to fight Claw Mark—was all within the bounds of what Magical Girls should do. None of it violated the Kingdom’s rules.

But sneaking into the Kingdom with a fake identity? That clearly crossed the line. Even if it was backed by the Jewel Scepter, it was still a violation.

If she had a choice, Veronica wouldn’t have brought it up right after reuniting with her old teammates. But since the topic existed, it had to be faced. She wasn’t going to run from it.

Madoka’s reply, however, caught her off guard.

“Do you remember what I said when I first arrived a few days ago?”

It wasn’t understanding or rejection. Not even questioning her motives. It was a counter-question. “I told you something. Or did you think I was just joking and forgot it right away?”

“…‘Let’s welcome this fan to the stage’?” Veronica recalled vaguely.

“Not that. A little later.”

Madoka sighed. “Fine. I’ll just say it again, otherwise you really won’t remember.”

With that, she suddenly knelt on one knee and lifted one of Veronica’s hands. “Well? Does this jog your memory?”

Veronica did remember.

That time, right after Madoka’s abrupt and exaggerated hand-kiss, she had said—

“At your service.”

And now, she said it again: “That wasn’t a joke. It wasn’t a silly roleplay. It was from the bottom of my heart.”

“If what you need is strength, if you need support for your goals—why can’t it be mine?”

“Your danger—I can deal with it. Your obstacles—I can clear them. Your enemies—I’ll help you take them down. Whatever you need, my strength is yours.”

“You don’t have to worry it’s not in your hands. If you feel it’s necessary, I can stay in Fangting for the whole year. Until you’re healed and can do things your way. As for the Director, I’ll just toss her a sick note. Work overtime later to make up for it.”

“I just don’t want you throwing yourself into danger like your life doesn’t matter, just because you want to reach your goal… That’s not okay, sis.”

“Your kid would be heartbroken. Your teammates would be heartbroken. Hong Siyu would be heartbroken. I would be heartbroken.”

“Please, value your life more. Treasure yourself more. That’s all I’m asking. Don’t pull another stunt like during the Great Beast Disaster, or that time you saved Hong Siyu. There’s no need for that now.”

She looked up, her smile bitter. “Or is it that I’m not good enough? That my power still doesn’t make you feel safe?”

“Hey, Madoka! Don’t go making speeches on your own—I feel the same way too!”

Hong Siyu quickly chimed in, “Veronica! I’m here too! I’m part of the Fangting Magical Girl Squad, and I always will be! You can rely on me! Sure, I slacked off for too long and didn’t level up on time, so maybe I’m not that strong…”

“…That’s not it,” Veronica replied softly. “It’s not that I don’t want your help.”

“Then why? You don’t trust me?” Madoka pressed on. “Is it because Aya was so powerful, and even she died? So we’re not enough?”

“No. That’s not it either.”

Veronica shook her head. “It’s personal.”

“Personal?”

“My heart won’t allow it. My true self won’t allow it. Just like you, Madoka—because of what happened to Aya—you don’t want to see another teammate in danger.”

Veronica looked at her earnestly. “I feel the same way. I don’t want to stand by powerless while my friends get hurt.”

“I’ll never let what happened to Aya happen again. Not even a tiny chance of it. Only then can I face myself. Only then can I ease that torment in my heart.”

Her voice rang out, clear and resolute: “If I keep hiding behind my friends, protected by others, that emptiness and pain inside me will drown me. So… I can’t keep doing that.”

Looking at her, Asou Madoka’s tense expression slowly softened, turning into helpless resignation.

For some reason, she glanced at Hong Siyu—and saw the exact same look reflected in her face.

Maybe… they were thinking the same thing?

“…We’ve lost, huh.”

She sighed deeply—but even she wasn’t sure who exactly she was surrendering to.