I'm a magical girl in the future

Chapter 23: Spells, Etiquette, Mental Phrases

On the rooftop of the Civil Defense Bureau building, five figures, two tall and three short—

Noah put one hand on her hip and extended one index finger with the other: "Then, the first lesson for a magical girl will begin with the basics and common sense of being a magical girl."

The four magical girls opposite her had somewhat different expressions—

Yotsuba and Asaka's eyes sparkled with pure curiosity and excitement, filled with a sense of exploration for the unknown.

Lingbo appeared expressionless and calm, and with her white dress and silver hair, she looked exactly like a typical emotionless loli.

Because Lolita in her magical girl form was too eye-catching, she changed into the clothes she and He Yuran had bought on the street the day before before going out.

As for the other side, he had an indifferent attitude, but he was actually listening attentively.

After the five people gathered at the entrance of the Civil Defense Bureau, Noah chose the rooftop of the Civil Defense Bureau building to begin her explanation.

After all, it's spacious enough that only magical girls can easily fly up here. Normally, no passersby would bother you.

"The core of a magical girl's fighting style, simply put, is to use her own 'magic power' to manifest three fighting styles—'spells,' 'mystic costumes,' and 'mental visions.'"

"First is 'magic.' You can think of it as various specific 'moves' or 'skills,' which use magic to generate attack beams and defensive barriers. This is the most widespread and direct means of combat for magical girls on the battlefield."

"The practice of spells mainly relies on acquired effort. This is also the one with the least influence from one's innate abilities among the three combat methods."

"Secondly, there's 'Mystic Code'. This is closer to the concept of 'equipment'."

"There are two main sources of Mystic Codes: one is the 'Primal Mystic Code' that gradually appears as the magical girl grows, which can be understood as equipment that she is born with; the other is the 'Artificial Mystic Code' that is created later."

"So, is the magic wand we have now... a Mystic Code?" Asaka looked at the magic wand in her hand. This magic wand had been in her hand since she awakened, and it sounded somewhat similar to the Primal Mystic Code that Noah had mentioned.

Noah smiled and said, "No, that's not true. Every magical girl has a magic wand when she first awakens, but that's just for decoration. The process of mastering the true Primal Mystic Code is related to your power stage growth, which I will explain later."

"As for 'artificial Mystic Codes'," Noah continued to explain, "as the name suggests, they are Mystic Codes created through artificial means. These artificial Mystic Codes can also provide magical girls with assistance and enhancement in combat."

"Then, Noah-senpai," Asaka continued to ask, "Is the 'Primal Mystic Code' stronger than the 'Artificial Mystic Code'? I always feel that 'natural' things are better than 'artificial' things."

"Actually, when it comes to formal attire, there's no such thing as 'natural' necessarily being superior to 'artificial.' In reality, there's no inherent superiority or inferiority between the two."

"Moreover, rather than simply having high strength, what matters more about a Mystic Code is its compatibility with the user—that is, whether the Mystic Code matches the magical girl's fighting style."

"However," Noah seemed to think about something, and then added, "if we insist on discussing the upper limit of potential, a very few primordial Mystic Codes do theoretically have a higher growth ceiling than artificial Mystic Codes. But such cases are very rare, and we generally don't consider them."

"The number of Mystic Codes that a magical girl can master and use simultaneously is actually directly related to your own power level."

"The five stages of a magical girl's abilities are: First Bud, Budding, Blooming, Full Bloom, and Eternal Bloom. The process of advancing through these stages is collectively referred to as the 'Blooming' stage."

"It sounds...like the process of a flower blooming," Yotsuba murmured softly.

Noah didn't explain these terms much. It's probably because the names for these five stages were accepted by previous generations and have been passed down.

"First Bud" level -

Noah continued, her gaze sweeping over the magical girls in front of her.

"The four of you are currently at this stage. At this stage, magical girls' magic is still immature, and their control over their power is relatively shallow. Therefore, they are basically unable to awaken their original Mystic Codes."

"Of course, as mana output gradually stabilizes, in the later stages of the 'First Bud' level, if there's an opportunity to obtain a suitable artificial Mystic Code, it can be used, albeit with some difficulty. However, the maximum number of Mystic Codes one can control at the same time is only one."

"Then comes the 'Budding' level. At this stage, one can usually master two Mystic Codes simultaneously. Some magical girls, during the blossoming process, gradually feel the call of their original Mystic Code and eventually awaken it."

"Of course, theoretically, each magical girl can usually awaken no more than two Primal Mystic Codes. There are also some late bloomers who awaken their Primal Mystic Codes at a higher power level."

"No more than two..." Bi'an muttered to herself, then asked a somewhat strange question: "Then... is it possible that not a single Primal Mystic Code has awakened?"

Noah thought for a moment: "...Although the probability is extremely low, there are indeed magical girls who haven't awakened a single Primal Mystic Code. However, this situation is very rare, and we basically don't need to consider it."

"Then, as the Kaihua progresses, the maximum number of Mystic Codes that can be used for 'Blooming Blossom,' 'Flourishing,' and 'Eternal Radiance' will be increased to three, four, and five respectively."

"Therefore, the improvement of ability stages not only means the increase of magical power and the accumulation of combat experience, but also the increase in the number of Mystic Codes that can be used, and the resulting enrichment of tactical diversity."

"Therefore, once a magical girl reaches the 'Blooming' or 'Eternal Radiance' level, she could use four or five Mystic Codes, but she only has one or two of her original Mystic Codes. So later on, everyone chooses to equip artificial Mystic Codes to supplement their combat power."

"As for how to obtain artificial Mystic Codes... there are many ways." Noah's tone became somewhat playful.

"There are artisans who specialize in making artificial costumes, and there are also merchants who specialize in this business... Among these people are ordinary people and magical girls."

"Even within the Civil Defense Bureau's official app, there's a dedicated section where magical girls can post information and trade, customize, and commission costumes. Now, the trading and production of costumes has developed into a sizable, clandestine industry."

This situation, which connects magical girls with worldly transactions, greatly impacted Rei's heart.

What did I do here? Is this still a magical girl?

For example—

Noah extended her right hand, palm up. With a slight sound, a white light shone in her palm. When the light faded, an excessively long katana was quietly held in her hand.

The length of the katana seemed somewhat exaggerated for her figure, yet it strangely exuded a discordant beauty.

Asaka recognized the katana—it was this very weapon that Senior Noah used to slay the calamity beast during the attack the night before last.

"Its name is 'Oborozuki Hakuya' (殺月白夜)," Noah said calmly, stroking the cold blade. "It's my primary weapon, the one I use most often in battle. And it is an artificial Mystic Code."

As soon as she finished speaking, she held the katana horizontally in front of her chest. Another soft light flashed, and the impressive long katana disappeared as abruptly as it had appeared.