The Coming Storm

Since Yuki thinks my tail is nice to stroke, I'll just let her keep stroking it.

Qiluo Tian Gong stood behind the register.

She set the barcode scanner back into its dock, watching the next customer place a basket of instant curry and canned coffee onto the conveyor belt.

Her hands automatically picked up the items to scan them, and her mouth automatically chimed with a welcome and the amount of change.

It seemed she had been thoroughly normalized by this world.

Not that it made a difference; auto-responses were a basic skill for any corporate slave, universally applicable across worlds.

Back at the observatory, her mouth had also automatically blurted out that the Eye of the End was growing brighter.

Only to get smacked on the head by her senior, who told her not to say such ominous things.

The visual feed from Star-trail was still open in her mind.

She hadn't thought about her rank in her original world for a very long time.

With different magic circuits and different world rules, she wondered if she could fit into those lines Shizuru had just drawn on the asphalt.

What if she forced herself to fit?

It should be possible.

Since the core basis for the classification was “whether one could independently handle a certain tier of Erosion Body,” it wasn't impossible to convert.

She aligned the barcode of a can of coffee with the scanner window, and as it beeped, her mind began the conversion in tandem.

If an ordinary person could handle a low-tier Erosion Body, would they be considered a D-rank Magical Girl too?

...

Qiluo Tian Gong was letting her mind wander again.

What rank would Lightweaver be?

A light-attribute mana composition, with her primary means of attack being mana threads.

But if Qiluo wanted to, she could also swing a massive greatsword around like a whirlwind.

She was just more accustomed to using threads in her original world.

Because they were light and stealthy, allowing her to capture targets without alerting her observation subjects.

As for her track record: she had insta-killed two low-tiers in her debut battle, and routinely clearing out low-tiers and mid-tiers on her own was a breeze.

Her actual combat performance was at least at the level of independently defeating mid-tiers and participating in team battles against high-tiers.

Going by the unofficial ranks, she was at least A-rank.

Thinking up to this point, she ladled the last scoop of broth into the pot, covered it with the lid, and wiped her hands on her apron.

Mingyue was A-rank, and Lightweaver's combat power was no weaker than Mingyue's. This assessment was undoubtedly solid.

But if she were to actually give herself a rank, she hoped it would be S-rank or higher.

After all, she was someone who had crossed over from beneath that disaster star.

With that star still hanging in the sky, it wouldn't make sense not to give herself an S.

She stamped herself with an S-rank in her mind, nodded in satisfaction, and looked down to continue arranging the rice balls on the shelf.

The small screen next to the register, which had been looping beverage commercials, suddenly switched screens.

It was the intro to a breaking news broadcast. An orange ticker popped up at the bottom of the screen, accompanied by a short, controlled alarm tone.

“According to the latest release from the Meteorological Agency, a once-in-a-decade torrential downpour will strike this region from tomorrow afternoon to the early hours of the following morning, accompanied by strong winds and localized thunderstorms. Residents in coastal and low-lying areas are advised to prepare for disaster as early as possible and avoid unnecessary outings.”

Before the news broadcast even finished, the convenience store's chime rang.

Two girls wearing the uniform of a nearby high school walked in. Anime character rubber straps dangled from their schoolbags as they headed straight for the cold drink cooler.

“There's going to be a storm tomorrow. I bet club activities will be canceled.”

“So we're going straight home after school? I wanted to check out that new crepe shop by the station, too.”

“It's too dangerous to go out in a storm. Besides, Erosion Bodies have been appearing pretty frequently lately.”

The two lowered their voices as they picked out drinks, but the convenience store was only so big, and with the counter just a few steps from the cooler, Qiluo heard everything perfectly.

She didn't need them to tell her that Erosion Bodies became more frequent during storms.

In her original world, mana tides and weather fluctuations were closely linked.

The concentration of mana would naturally rise during a full moon, and the ambient mana in the atmosphere would become highly unstable on the eve of a storm.

Although this world's laws of physics weren't completely identical to her original world's, since Erosion Bodies were also condensed from mana, the same rule most likely applied.

In other words, the torrential rain starting tomorrow afternoon meant a surge of Erosion Bodies would emerge, taking advantage of the window of mana instability.

Nishikawa poked his head out of the backroom, holding half a box of sports drinks.

He asked with a hint of worry, “Tian Gong, you're still on the evening shift tomorrow, right?”

“Yeah,” Qiluo replied.

“There won't be many customers in a storm. The Store Owner said if the rain gets too heavy tonight, we can close early. Just play it by ear.”

“Got it. Thanks, Nishikawa-senpai.”

With that, Nishikawa ducked back into the storeroom to continue organizing the inventory.

This kind of mundane coworker interaction was the least mentally taxing form of communication for Qiluo in this world. She didn't have to think about what to say next; she just had to give the standard replies.

A storm, huh... She looked down at her hands.

There was still some dust on her fingertips from stocking the shelves earlier. They looked no different from the hands of any ordinary high school girl.

When Erosion Bodies became active during a storm, the Magical Girls would still have to deploy as usual.

To the people of this world, this cause-and-effect relationship probably seemed as natural as bringing an umbrella when it rained.

No one would stay indoors just because of a storm, and the Erosion Bodies wouldn't stop spawning because of the rain.

The Magical Girls would never let the Erosion Bodies beat them to the scene.

A bunch of teenage girls would have to run across rooftops in short skirts on a stormy night, risking their lives against monsters crawling out of rifts from another world.

Yuki and Shizuru would definitely deploy, not to mention those idiots from Wings of Freedom.

Honestly, fighting in this kind of weather would drain far more mana than usual.

For a Magical Girl, it was a harsh battlefield stacked with debuffs.

She took off her apron, hung it in her locker, changed into her coat, and clocked out.

Pushing open the convenience store door, the damp air rushed over her, carrying the low pressure unique to the eve of a heavy downpour.

The sky hung low, weighed down by heavy clouds. The disaster star was invisible, but it was undoubtedly still shining behind the cloud cover.

Qiluo let go of her zipper, lowered her head, and quickened her pace.

“Tian Gong-san!” Rei's voice called out from the other end of the hallway. Today, she had her long hair styled in twin braids.

She held a dripping folding umbrella in her hand, her sneakers squeaking softly on the floor.

“Did you see the news? This rain is going to last until tomorrow! All club activities are canceled, and even the swimming club's pre-tournament training camp is postponed. I even brought my new swimsuit, and the tags are still on it.”

“You need a new umbrella. The ribs are all bent,” Qiluo pointed at the umbrella in Rei's hand.

“I just bought it last semester! It's all because the wind is too strong today.”

Rei tried to bend the warped rib back, but it snapped right back halfway. Giving up, she shoved the umbrella into the public umbrella rack next to the shoe lockers.

“Oh, right. Are you still going to your part-time job at the convenience store this evening? Even in this weather?”

“I can't just change my scheduled shift.”

“True. Well, be careful on your way back. I heard there's already flooding near the station.”

Rei suddenly remembered something and pulled a small pack of tissues from her schoolbag's side pocket, handing them over.

“You have raindrops on your hair. Here, wipe it.”

Rei always had a knack for handing people things before they even realized they needed them. It was probably a natural talent.

Qiluo took the tissues and wiped the damp, stray hairs on her forehead.

As she wiped, she couldn't help but think that if everyone in this world were like Rei, the Erosion Bodies would probably evaporate from sheer kindness before they could even get close.

The other students in the classroom were all discussing the torrential rain. This kind of weather was indeed irritating.

The room was filled with the distinct damp odor of a rainy day—a mixture of wet canvas shoes, soggy textbook covers, and the smell of rain constantly blowing in through the windows.

The windows were tightly shut, a thin layer of condensation coating the glass. One of the girls had drawn a cat on it with her finger, but before the ears could dry, a passing classmate accidentally smudged them.

Last night in her apartment, she had made all the necessary preparations. She had expanded the range of her sensing array to several times its usual size and preheated Lightweaver's magic circuits.

But worries were still worries.

Hopefully, today wouldn't be too bad.

During lunch break, Rei pulled her chair over to Qiluo's desk, sighing the moment she popped open her bento box lid.

While complaining about how the rain had ruined all her plans, she picked up the largest piece of fried chicken in her bento box and dropped it into Qiluo's.

Resting her chin in her hands, she stared out the window. “This kind of weather is perfect for curling up under the blankets, eating snacks, and watching anime. You know, Tian Gong-san, the limited-edition single MV Meruru released last week was shot in the rain. But I think it'd be way cooler if the Wings of Freedom did a rain-themed video too.”

“You really love the Wings of Freedom,” Qiluo said, popping the fried chicken into her mouth.

How did this girl's rose-colored glasses for the Wings of Freedom get so thick?

“Of course! I'm their die-hard fan! Even though Meruru is great, that chaotic, hot-blooded vibe of the Wings of Freedom hits the spot much better—”

“Rei, your bento is getting cold.”

Rei glanced down at her bento, gave an “oh,” and began focusing on her food.

The rain grew heavier, the soft patter turning into a steady downpour.

A few girls crowded around the window to look outside. A thin layer of water had already accumulated on the sports field, and the white lane lines on the track were blurred by the rain.

The convenience store evening shift... If the rain doesn't stop after work...

I'll head over to check on the three little ones as Lightweaver first.

Then I'll switch back to Star-trail and check if Yuki has any Erosion Bodies she needs help with.

Star-trail can provide immediate mana support. I can slightly increase the mana density for Yuki today.

At least that way, Yuki won't exhaust herself too quickly fighting in the rain.

If neither battlefield needs me, I'll just sleep all day at home!

Sleeping in this kind of weather is the absolute best!

...

The end-of-day bell was muffled by the sound of the torrential rain. Students in the classroom began packing up their schoolbags, and the clattering of umbrellas echoed from the hallway.

Rei was picked up by her mother. Qiluo planned to run straight back to her apartment. Since she still had some time before her evening shift at the convenience store, she wanted to head back and change into dry clothes first.

Qiluo stuffed her textbooks into her schoolbag. Just as she reached the shoe locker area, she heard someone call her from behind.

“Qiluo.”

Yuki Kurokawa stood at the corner of the hallway, holding two umbrellas.

This morning, before leaving the house, she had lingered in the entryway for a bit longer than usual.

Her mother, who was looking at a tablet by the dining table, heard her rummaging through the umbrella stand and looked up. “Taking two umbrellas?” she asked.

She said yes, a friend might need one.

Her mother was silent for a few seconds. She didn't press further, simply looking back down at her screen.

For her mother, this was already a form of tacit approval.

At least, she wasn't ordering her to distance herself from this friend right now.

The hem of her school uniform skirt was slightly damp, likely splashed by the rain blowing into the hallway as she walked over from the Class B classroom.

She had actually packed her schoolbag very early, placing her textbooks inside one by one.

After double-checking the two umbrellas on the rack, she had walked out into the hallway and stood between Class A and Class B. From there, she could see Class A's back door without being too conspicuous.

“It's raining really hard today. It's too dangerous for you to walk back like this,” Yuki said, holding out the deep blue umbrella. “My family's driver is coming to pick me up. We can give you a ride.”

After saying this, Yuki's fingers gently rubbed the handle of the umbrella.

During lunch break, she had messaged her mother, asking if she could use the car after school and if the driver could take her home.

After sending it, she had stared at the screen for a long time. Only when her mother replied with a “Sure” did she slide her phone back into her pocket.

In truth, Yuki wanted to give Qiluo a ride home. Qiluo usually walked to the station.

She really couldn't feel at ease letting her walk back alone in this kind of weather.

Even though Qiluo was always so calm, looking like she could handle anything on her own, the rain was just too heavy. It was too dangerous!

Next were the instructions for the driver: where to park, not to honk at the school gate...

She didn't want Qiluo to draw unnecessary attention by being picked up in a black sedan.

The teasing and clamor from when she had delivered the cookies to Class A's door were still fresh in her memory. She didn't want Qiluo to go through the embarrassment of being stared at again.

So, she had arranged for the driver to park on the small path beside the gymnasium. That path was normally used by sports clubs to move equipment, and no one would be passing by on a rainy day.