Chapter 176 – Day to (2)

“Have you already told me? It’s to keep other guys from attacking you.”
“Besides that… Isn’t there something more?”
“What else?”

I was taken aback when Esther asked me questions instead.
Don’t you know that from the moment the tentacle was planted in Esther, you felt that something was strange, that the world around you was strange?
Or did you not understand what my question was about?

I want to believe that it is.
I hope to clear any doubts.
I asked Esther more directly.

“… The surroundings are strange.”
“Huh?”
“The condition of the people around me is strange. I’ve been feeling it ever since it was planted in my hand.”
“What is strange?”
“What are you saying… Don’t you know?”
“Say it.”

At Esther’s attitude of encouraging me to say more as if I really didn’t know, I felt the accumulated fatigue rushing at once.
Thinking that the question doesn’t seem to be solved is draining my strength.
I sighed and said in desperation.

“People around me… It’s out of focus.”
“So?”
“So… It’s strange, don’t you suddenly stop when you see magical girls… As if he’s only interested in magical girls…”
“Hmm…”

As if considering my question seriously for a moment, Esther paused and covered her mouth.
He clenched his chin and gave no answer.
Then, all of a sudden, something strange and strange came out.

“It’s that kind of magic, I understand.”
“What… ?”

Then Esther spoke so calmly and calmly.

“Perhaps it was the influence of my magic that brought you to your senses.”
“For a moment… Come to your senses, that means…”

Surprised heart beats fast
Being awake means that I was distracted by something.
Like everyone else, everyone else is as crazy as I am.

“What?”
“What?”
“What was I crazy about… ? Why?”

One of the most curious
Why are people so weird?
Why and since when did I become strange?

“I can’t tell you that.”
“What? Why…”
“Because I can’t tell you.”

At the ambiguous answer, I immediately took the vision phone out of my pocket and tried to hypnotize it. I remembered the tentacle number 111 standing behind me and let go of my hand.
Looking at Esther quietly, I see a small smile.
From that look, I can feel that Esther didn’t intentionally give an ambiguous answer to make fun of me.

I caught my breath and thought for a moment… The answer itself is a bit odd.
It’s not that I don’t know, it’s that I can’t tell you.
Even though I know… I can’t even tell you

“… Negative?”
“Joy.”

As he muttered, Esther smiled and snapped his fingers.
Then the tentacle that was waiting behind came up and handed Esther a new drink.
This time, there are also snacks that can be easily eaten.

“… Are there any restrictions on what you can say?”
“It’s not just talking.”
“To the negative… Can’t you do any damage?”

Esther, who was eating snacks and drinks from the tentacle monster, looked at me with surprised eyes when she heard me.

“Are you pretty smart? I don’t usually think about it that fast.”

As Esther said, ordinary people cannot grasp the idea of ​​being manipulated by something or its contents easily or so quickly.
But I hypnotize myself… As someone who had given the same order, I thought it was possible, so I was able to quickly deduce Esther’s situation.
Come to think of it, no matter how negative she was infected, it was a bit strange that Esther, who had all her memories as a magical girl, would instantly turn negative.

Brainwashing or Hypnosis… Among Negative’s executives, there is a guy called Mind Controller who specializes in mental attacks.
It was he who infected and brainwashed Esther.
Negative, like me, can hypnotize others…
Anything that can hypnotize… It’s not just me.

“Wait for a sec…”

I suddenly thought of other people’s images in my head.
The out-of-focus look, the movement as if he was doing whatever he was told to do in a daze.
It’s like he doesn’t notice that he’s being manipulated.

It’s all behavior I know.
Why did I only notice this now?
It’s like I bet on a magical girl.

Only then did I come up with a new possibility.
It is the same behavior as the information I have learned through studying, experiencing and learning so far.
Because I couldn’t do it, because only I could do it, I completely excluded it from the possibility.

I may be hypnotized by all the ordinary people I cannot hypnotize.
And I, too, may have been hypnotized.
The fact that the focus has returned properly means that the hypnosis has been released.

But… If so, what kind of hypnosis is it?
I want to ask Esther a question, but even if Esther knows, she can’t answer.
… I have to figure this out myself.

“Like you said, I can’t tell you more because I’m not supposed to be able to damage negatives, but… I can tell you this. It is because of my magic that you are in such a state now.”
“What kind of magic is that?”

I listened to Esther’s voice, organized my thoughts, and asked questions.
If you find out what kind of magic Esther released me from hypnosis, you will know how the people of the Sangha got out of hypnosis.

“… Area satelliteization.”
“What?”
“Ha… To put it simply, it’s magic that prevents bad things by planting a part of me in you. I don’t know the details, and I don’t know if you understand.”
“Wait a minute, it’s your magic, what if you don’t know.”

If the person who used the magic doesn’t know what magic it is, then who knows?
To a question that was so obvious to me, Esther answered with a frown.

“Joy… Yes, even if it’s you, I don’t know… Do you know how magical girls awaken their magic?”
“Uh… ? Oh no…”
“There are many factors, but the most important thing is to awaken when you have a strong desire for this kind of magic.”

This… It’s the first time I’ve heard of it.
No matter how much I searched the majin company, I couldn’t find anything like this.

“If the heart that I wish it would be like this becomes strong, it is a miracle to be able to do it… A place to awaken magic. To put it simply, if you want to cut down a tree, an ax will appear. But maybe a knife or a spear or a saw blade. You can cut it without an axe.”
“Awakening the way to bring out the desired result… ?”
“You’re smart, and how to use that sword better, how it can be used, and what it’s made of… You may know, but you may not.”

A fairly easy-to-understand explanation.
In other words, Esther wanted magic to protect me, to keep bad things out of me… I awakened it and used it.
Because of this, I was able to get rid of the bad things that hung over me…

“… Is that all?”
“What?”
“This… Was the magic that created this on your left hand just a wish to protect me?”

It makes sense
But is that really all there is to it?
Esther, who has ceased to be a magical girl, has been brainwashed by Negative and cannot act to harm Negative… Did he really just cast a spell to protect me?

“Is that really all?”
“If that’s not all, then what?”

I doubted Esther for a moment, but when I saw Esther smiling, I immediately averted my gaze.
I’m laughing, but I’m not laughing.
The tail is also pointed downwards.
Angry

“Are you being arrogant that you can’t believe me right now?”
“No… Uh… Something more… I wish I had a special, special wish…”

Esther looked down at me as she sat with her chin lifted slightly as if to say something more.
Strangely, Esther felt so comfortable that she made a mistake.
Esther is Negative’s executive, not a good opponent to talk about like this.
I desperately flattered Esther to suit her mood.

“What, something, that… I’m so embarrassed… To think that Esther cares for me like this… Is this really real… ?”
“Joy…”
“What can I say more~ It’s just the left hand! Could it be that this meant something huge?”
“Under… ? Aren’t your delusions too severe?”
“No, it’s delusion! Together for life! Did this go too far? But since meteor showers are always together, wouldn’t it be okay to delusion about that once? So… ?”

As I continued talking, I saw Esther’s tail beginning to wag and I shut her mouth.
The expression remains the same, but the corners of the mouth are slightly raised… I feel relieved.
I was relieved, but I had a little strange idea.
… Too easy.

Once I had calmed down Esther, I let out a silent sigh and turned my gaze to the scene unfolding under the roof.
Louis and Sienna arrived and formed a formation with Arna and Rosé, taking care of the tentacle dogs one by one.
I asked Esther what kind of magic she wished for and thought it would be better not to provoke her further.

“Wow~ They fight pretty well.”
“… Okay.”

He uses the terrain well to save his stamina, and he saves his mana in preparation for unexpected situations.
It’s a combat method that makes you feel like you’ve been studying ways to help each other and linking magic together since you’ve taught them before.

“Even if they are in the middle ranks, wouldn’t they have the strength of one of the top ranks if they work well together like that?”
“To that extent? Joy… Even if you only go to grapes, you can finish it all with one finger? I don’t know who taught it, but it seems like they teach differently than I did.”

Listening to Esther’s words reminded me of when Esther was a magical girl.
Grape, Rapid, Esther… Ash intervened from time to time, but mainly these three were magical girls who moved and battled as one and grew up.
The fighting method of joining forces like that is taught by Lily, and it is famous for knocking down strong officers one after another because the coordination is quite good.

“Uh… Come to think of it, Esther originally fought together, right? Is it that messy to see as a senior?”

The four below are the magical girls I taught how to connect.
When I cautiously asked if my methods were so messed up, Esther clicked her tongue and put on a bitter expression.

“… It’s stupid.”
“Uh?”
“Even if weak people join forces, it doesn’t change that individuals are weak.”

… It seems a little out of place to say that it is an answer to a question, but I can feel the sincerity in the words.
Some experience… It’s a word with bones.
Esther silently watched the magical girls fighting under her for a while.

A strange atmosphere pervades the surroundings.
Esther, looking below her, kept her mouth shut as if she was lost in thought.
And after a while, Esther turned her head toward me and said,

“You… How did you become a fan of mine?”