Magical Girl?! But I Was a Dude!

Chapter 3: My Heroic Reward Is... A Free Meal?

Chapter 3: My Heroic Reward Is... A Free Meal?

I couldn’t believe it. Not only had I just defeated a monster with an attack that looked like a toddler’s art project, but now I was being hailed as a hero by a bunch of villagers who clearly had no standards for what heroism looked like. As they continued showering me with flowers, I glanced at Fluffbuns.

"Do I have to do this every time?" I whispered, trying to shake off the petals sticking to my dress.

Fluffbuns, hovering just above me, gave a toothy grin. "Pretty much! You’re a magical girl now! Saving the day is kind of your thing."

"Right," I muttered, trying to hide my disgust at the frills and glitter. "Can’t wait to do this for the rest of my life."

The mustached village leader stepped forward, his eyes shining with gratitude. "O, Great Magical Girl, please come with us. We must reward you for your bravery!"

I raised an eyebrow. "Oh, really? I mean, I don’t need a reward, but…"

"Yes, yes!" he continued, ignoring my obvious fishing for a decent prize. "We will prepare a grand feast in your honor!"

A feast? That didn’t sound too bad. My stomach rumbled, reminding me that being isekai’d didn’t come with free meals. I hadn’t eaten anything since before my unfortunate banana peel incident.

Fluffbuns nudged me. "See? Things are looking up! Who can say no to food?"

I decided to go along with it. After all, what was the worst that could happen? (Famous last words.)

The villagers led me through their quaint little town, which looked like it had been plucked right out of a fairy tale—complete with cobblestone streets, thatched-roof houses, and children playing with sticks because, apparently, video games didn’t exist here.

As we arrived at the town square, I couldn’t help but notice something... off. The villagers had set up what they considered a "grand feast," but it looked more like a middle school potluck gone wrong. There were a few loaves of bread, some vaguely soup-like substance, and what appeared to be an entire roasted pigeon. One pigeon.

"Behold!" the mustached leader declared, gesturing grandly to the table of food. "Our most extravagant feast, in honor of the great magical girl!"

I blinked at the meager spread. "Uh, thanks... this is really... something."

I looked to Fluffbuns for help, but the little fluffball was trying not to laugh, its tiny wings shaking with the effort.

"You've got to be kidding me," I muttered under my breath. "I just fought a dragon-centipede thing and saved your village. This is my reward?"

The villagers, apparently oblivious to my disappointment, ushered me to the head of the table. "Please, dig in, Great Magical Girl! You deserve it!"

Fluffbuns, still chuckling, floated down next to me. "Maybe it’s better than it looks. You’ve been through worse, right?"

I stared at the pigeon. "I don’t know, the afterlife banana peel incident is starting to feel preferable."

Just as I was about to pick up a piece of bread, the village leader clapped his hands, drawing everyone’s attention. "Before we begin, we must perform our sacred ritual to honor our savior!"

A ritual? I didn’t like where this was going. "Wait, what ritual?"

Fluffbuns suddenly looked a little more concerned. "Uh…"

Before I could protest, the villagers began chanting in unison. A few of them pulled out tambourines, and one elderly woman started dancing in a way that could only be described as interpretive flailing.

"This is getting weird," I muttered, leaning towards Fluffbuns. "Tell me this isn’t going to summon another monster."

Fluffbuns gave an awkward shrug. "I… don’t know how their rituals work, but I doubt they’re powerful enough to summon anything. Probably."

"Probably?" I hissed. "That’s not exactly reassuring!"

Just as I said that, the ground began to rumble beneath us.

"Oh no," I groaned, clutching my staff tightly. "Not again."

Sure enough, the earth split open, and from the depths emerged a figure—a tall, armored knight with glowing red eyes. His sword gleamed menacingly in the sunlight as he stared directly at me.

"Seriously?!" I shouted. "I just wanted a sandwich!"

The villagers screamed and scattered, leaving me alone to face the giant warrior who had apparently been summoned by their weird dinner theater ritual.

Fluffbuns hovered beside me, looking sheepish. "Oops. Maybe they’re better at summoning than I thought."

I glared at the floating ball of fluff. "You think?"

The knight raised his sword, pointing it directly at me. "I am the Dark Lord’s General! You, magical girl, will face me in battle!"

"Can I at least finish my bread first?" I grumbled.

The general didn’t respond. Apparently, villains in this world didn’t have much patience for snark. He charged forward with a battle cry that sounded like a cross between a roar and a vacuum cleaner.

I lifted my staff, hoping the magic would kick in before I got sliced in half. "Sparkle blast… or whatever!"

A wave of glittery magic shot out from my staff, hitting the general square in the chest. He staggered but didn’t fall, his eyes glowing even brighter with rage.

"Great. So, this one’s glitter-proof," I muttered.

Fluffbuns bounced around in excitement. "You can do it! Just hit him with a stronger attack!"

I groaned. "I don’t know any stronger attacks! I didn’t exactly get a magical girl handbook when I got here!"

The general charged again, swinging his sword with terrifying speed. I barely managed to dodge, the blade grazing my frilly skirt.

"That’s it," I growled, standing my ground. "I am not dying because of a fashion disaster."

Channeling all my frustration—at the villagers, at my outfit, and at the fact that I was supposed to be eating a pigeon instead of fighting—I pointed my staff and shouted the first thing that came to mind.

"SUPER SPARKLE KABOOM!"

To my surprise, a massive explosion of pink energy erupted from the staff, engulfing the general in a dazzling display of glitter and rainbows. When the light faded, he was lying face-down on the ground, thoroughly defeated.

I stared at the smoking remains of my attack. "Did… did I just win?"

Fluffbuns squealed with joy. "You did it! That was amazing!"

I collapsed onto the ground, exhausted. "I need a nap. And real food. And a lot fewer sparkles."

The villagers cautiously returned, their faces full of awe and admiration. The mustached leader approached me again, this time holding out a shiny medallion.

"O, Great Magical Girl, for defeating yet another foe, we bestow upon you this sacred relic."

I glanced at the medallion. "Does it come with fries?"