Entering Augmented Reality…

Ugh. I was painting again. The cans were too expensive to mess around with, so I was using a simple art program that let you paint with anything. Or your hand. It’s just easier to imagine with a toothbrush.

I had a date today.

Iroas said his friend was bugging him to meet me, he’s the one who’s got that magical girl character that looks like me.

“He’s rich. He’s...smart. Bit of the more old fashioned type like you too. I think he has an ulterior motive in meeting you though. No, it’s definitely something creepy. Still, here’s his number,” said the hero.

I think he enjoyed that.

As for dating, isn’t that just the usual? That always happens anyways.

It’s at his place. I don’t want to go. After making Ahgo I kept off of Mental World Online. It scared me when I fainted, luckily it seems like I didn’t fry my brain. Test came back normal. If anything, my productivity is up with painting.

I looked at the canvas as I purposely fell to the floor.

“It’s no good…”

Guess I’ll go. It’s something to do right? Maybe he can show me that Magical Girl character, I wonder how close I am. Am I actually pretty, and I’ve been fooling myself this whole time!? Am I actually a great talent whose true potential will only be unleashed after a year of hard work!?

Entering Reality…

“Hi, I’m Clive, nice to meet you.”

“I’m Ash. Would you show me that magical girl character?”

Ah, his face went red. I felt I had to get to that point right away or I would never bring it up.

“Damn Iroas, O-okay I’ll show it to you, come in. I cooked, hope you like veal.”

He can cook. His place is pretty immaculate too. Doesn’t he work a really stressful job too, he must have a maid service.

“Nice place.”

“Thanks. Turn on your Augmented Reality mode, I set it up.”

So quick. I wonder why he listened to me so easily when it looked like it was personal for him?

Entering Augmented Reality...

No way.

“What’s with the trenchcoat?”

I was looking at me with cat ears and a trenchcoat. The character was prettier no doubt, but I couldn’t deny the resemblance. This was worth coming alone.

“I-it’s a detective...magical girl… detective.”

Wow, he’s trying hard. I feel like I’m punishing him. I won’t apologize though, maybe you were stalking me! I need to find out!

Entering Reality…

Dinner was going well. Clive’s very polite, seems like the workaholic type. There were a few guys like him at work. Maybe the whole magical girl thing is a stress reliever. I can’t say I wasn’t put off by it at first, but there was the ‘he’s rich, he’s smart’ and single.

“Are you with anyone, Clive?”

I’ll ask it everytime from now on.

“Why would I ask you on a date if I had someone. I don’t like liars. I was messing around with this girl in the guild recently who was stuck on me, but she was way too clingy. It feels like I took advantage of her, so I broke off contact. She’s got a lot to work through.”

At least he regrets it, unlike Iroas who’s probably after her as we speak.

“So, Iroas said you had some ulterior motive. Is this a one night thing?”

“Oh you mean... No. I uh, I’m a terrible liar, and I don’t want to lie. So I’ll just say it. This is all true, I swear.”

He told me about how he’s some mad scientist type, driven to the brink of despair, he invented some crazy gadget that got stolen by another mad scientist type who hired him and now they are doing some world domination thing.

At least he’s ambitious.

I don’t like the sound of that Myalor guy or what he said about me. That’s a little worrying.

The pay’s good, he says. Well, he’s ambitious and seems passionate about it. Seems like he’s a little too hard on himself, and I thought I was bad.

“Oh, so that’s where Ahgo is then? I’m afraid to talk to him, I’ve been staying away from the game because of that and…”

“You don’t have to say it. Myalor commits lots of crimes but you know how it is at his level of power, that just comes with the territory. He didn’t explain to me exactly how you created Ahgo, but I think I figured out at least a part of it. Shouldn’t you be more careful? I mean, I know I’m not one to talk, but still, value your life a bit more.”

He’s good.

“Ah, that. I just wanted to get a miracle. All my paintings suck. I don’t like them, I don’t want to even try to sell them unless I feel proud of them. I spent so long not doing it so when Iroas told me about Mental World Online, it was like it was a chance to get something quick and simple done right away. It just went downhill from there…”

“I think it’s amazing. Whatever you did, you must have a huge amount of talent to be able to put that much into a monster. I didn’t even think it was possible. In the first place, the monster summon was supposed to just be an extension of the combat system. If you put that kind of ability into an attack, I wonder what would happen!”

He’s getting excited, like a kid. I think this is probably who he really is, he’s got that hard exterior but once you give him no reason to be afraid he opens up. Maybe too fast? Or maybe I’m too fast.

“I don’t know about that. Rather not try either. So what’s the reason I’m really here?”

“Well, um, a, I want to request a monster. Don’t do anything dangerous though, I couldn’t sleep at night if I knew I pushed someone that far just for me.”

It’s probably a magical girl isn’t it.

“I want you to make the ultimate magical girl, one like Ahgo. Cuter. Way cuter. I don’t know if it’s possible, but I... It’s a dream of mine. I’ll do anything.”

He’s really into anime isn’t he. He’s not a bad guy though. He’s in touch with that Myalor guy, I doubt I’ll have much luck dealing with him if things go south. At least Clive could negotiate with him for me.

I’m not going to say it am I? I thought of the canvas waiting at home.

“Okay, I’ll do it. But you have to marry me.”

“Ok.”

“Don’t you want to think it over? This is pretty fast…”

“You can change your mind what you want at anytime. I’ll do anything to make this happen. After talking with Ahgo, I realized the potential. You’re really cute too, I wouldn’t mind dating you anyways but being married to a girl that looks so much like my character is pretty humiliating. I’ll get through it somehow though.”

He smiled. Can’t you just admit you like me?

“Can’t you just admit you like me?”

“It’s a little soon for that, don’t you think?”, said Clive with a straight face.

I don’t know about this.

I was over at his place after work again. It was a regular thing now. He wanted me to come over and watch magical girl shows with him. I was enjoying it, I’m surprised. Clive seemed a bit squeamish around me at first, probably just his shame acting up. Just relax.

Clive got used to it though. He’s really happy to see me, I feel a little flattered.

Something’s bothering me though. I don’t know what that is, Mom likes him, I like him, he’s rich, what’s wrong? I thought of the canvas waiting at home.

We were usually at his place. We watched shows Clive shared to my brain chip on a plastic board he set up like a television so we could watch it in the same room and see the same episode together at once. He said it would be more fun together.

I didn’t want to just watch them alone either.

The magical girl shows reminded me of the cartoons I watched as a kid, but it’s a little more serious at times. It was impossible to take it seriously, so I ended up laughing. I could tell Clive was holding himself back at times. He didn’t want to say too much, but he really just wanted to get out just one more comment.

I’m grateful for that. It’s a little overbearing at times, but it’s fun watching him have such passion for something like this. Marriage? I don’t know about that. Why’d I blurt that out back then.

“So, what are you going to do once I make this magical girl?”

We were probably a month in by then. I was getting tired of this. I was tired from work as well.

My chin was planted on the coffee table in front of the board, the couch acting as backrest behind me.

“Huh. I never thought of that.”

“Wait, you spent this whole time trying to make a really good one but you’re not even interested in it after I make it? I thought you were going to capture it and do experiments.”

I don’t want to know! I don’t want to know!

“Oh, so that’s what you thought. I can see that. People misunderstand me. Myalor said something similar. No, I just want one to exist.”

“What’s the point of having a magical girl though? Don’t they need to fight something or someone? They are always doing that near the end of the episode. Are you going to set up fights for her, or fight her yourself?”

He laughed.

“Me? If I fought a magical girl, that would make me a villain!”

“Aren’t there plenty of magical girls to fight in Mental World Online…”

“Those don’t count, I bet most of them are old guys like me or actual girls.”

You’re going to leave her alone? The girl I create? The one you wanted me to make?

“Don’t leave her alone…”, I muttered.

“What’s that? A villain though. I really am like them now aren’t I. Working for Myalor is pretty enjoyable. I didn’t expect I’d ever do this pioneering type of work. Sometimes, just watching him pull things together from so many people I don’t know to solve a problem is so admirable. He’s probably insane, but I can’t argue with what I’ve seen and done so far. I just hope this is going in a good direction in the end. Villain, huh. I’m a villain.”

“Clive?”

He got up and was pacing around as he said that as I lazily watched him.

“Um, I think I’m going to go for a walk. You gave me a weird idea and I want to work it out myself. If you want to head home go ahead. I’ve got to work this out.”

He half mumbled that and got up and left. I was still in a daze from watching magical girl shows for hours on end.

Great, just leave why don’t you.

Iroas, he does everything for himself.

Clive, he does everything for magical girls.

Ash, what does she do? Who is this for?

So I can marry this guy? Do I want to get married so bad? I sighed.

Ahgo, I proposed to him on reflex. I sounded so desperate back then.

Has anything changed? I thought of the canvas waiting at home.

Can’t I just give up on it? Who wants paintings anymore! It’s dumb. I’m not talented, I don’t put in enough work, the whole reason I’m even here is to make this guy’s weird cartoon fetish come to life!

I felt a burning inside. What was wrong? There’s nothing wrong with a little passion, Clive doesn’t seem like he’s mentally sick beyond the shame and mad science thing. That’s only two problems. Compared to the rest of them…

I’m settling. I’m not looking at my feelings. I don’t want to see them, why?

It hurts. I felt a burning inside. I smashed the coffee table in half with my fist.

“Woah... uh... should I leave a note?”

I just half heartedly reacted like that without thinking. Clive’s a bit of a doormat isn’t he, he won’t care. As long as I deliver his magical girl he seems like he’d be fine with anything.

Even spending the rest of his life with me. I wouldn’t have to work. Clive’s a safe type, there’s no doubt. I felt a burning inside. Let it go. I thought of the canvas waiting at home.

“What? Just because I marry him, will that solve everything, Mom?”

I started to cry. Paintings are dumb. My dreams are dumb. It’s not like I have to choose between this guy and paintings either, so why am I feeling this way?

“Because I don’t want him. I’m settling. I’m holding onto him because he feels safe. Painting is hard, it’s scary, and I don’t think anyone will ever care about anything I do. This has nothing to do with him. It’s all me. I just wanted an excuse out of this feeling, this frustration.”

I said it out loud to myself. Don’t know where that came from. I looked at the screen. Some magical girl was talking about how she would never give up. Why can’t I be like that?

I grinned. Who’s the villain now? Who’s the hero now?

Clive, I’ll take you up on your offer to change what I want at anytime. I’m pretty sure you’ve got a thing for me but that will have to die. I’ll take the money though.

This is my first paying submission after all!

“World Online, Enter!”

Haha, I didn’t need to say it like that! Who’s watching!

Entering World Online...

I’m getting a lot of money for this! I’ll give it everything I’ve got.

I’m still in that field where I summoned Ahgo. I should talk to him sometime.

Not today though, I’m working.

I felt the rush of emotions flow through me. Sorry, little girl, you won’t be like Ahgo.

I want to see how far I can go without cheating with that stabilizer this time.

Who are you, magical girl? Tell me your story!

I felt the strokes adding up. A thousand, a thousand more. I pushed my consciousness to the limits and just brought more and more feelings into it. You’re a big one!

“Kaub, Magical Girl, Show yourself! ‘Monster Summon’!”

I felt like I was going to pass out again. The world was blurring. Everything was shaking.

A huge mass of particles began gathering in front of me. Amazing!

They exploded and a small girl clothed in rags popped out of the light in mid-air. She fell into the ground headfirst.

“Ugh!”

She cried out. A level one. Shouldn’t you be 18 at least! I’m disappointed. Class, well I can’t say I didn’t expect that one. Didn’t I break the rules too much? No laughing game master this time either.

I walked over a bit unsteady. I should just log out and go to sleep, I thought.

No, I have to see her, I can’t leave her alone.

I looked down at the magical girl. She was sleeping. She looked uncomfortable. I pulled a cloak out from my pack and covered her. The red will match with her light orange hair.

I felt like I wanted to brush her hair out of her eyes. It’s just a monster, isn’t it?

“I’m tired too. I promise, I’ll come check on you later, okay? Stay tough until then.”

I logged out, leaving the girl with only a cloak.