Is This How You Use a Self-Destruct Switch?!-Chapter 1 : Even Invisible People Dream of Becoming Magical Girls

Warm sunlight penetrated through thin clouds, spreading a gentle golden glow across the clean asphalt road. The black-haired girl walking toward school unconsciously lifted her head, gazing at that overly bright sky.
On both sides of the road, carefully cultivated flowers exhaled refreshing fragrances, while birds flying across the sky left behind crisp chirping that echoed long in the girl's ears.
The faces of passersby wore identical peaceful smiles, as if every corner of this city was saturated with supreme happiness.
The girl gently stepped aside, making way for a man helping an elderly person with grocery shopping. The expected "thank you" never came, and the girl, already accustomed to this, quietly watched them walk away.
Just in that moment of distraction, her back received a light but noticeable impact, causing her to stumble and nearly fall to the ground.
After steadying herself, she silently bowed to the confused stranger who had turned around, seemingly puzzled about whether they had bumped into something. Then, keeping close to the left side of the road, she quickened her pace toward school.
As expected, she was late again.
In the classroom, the teacher's roll call was nearing its end. It seemed the latecomer would find it hard to escape their "fate."
"Nagayasu Megumi!"
The girl whose name was called immediately sprang up like a spring, her face blooming with a 100% energetic smile: "Here~!"
The female teacher on the podium pushed up her glasses, nodded with satisfaction, and praised:
"Good! Very spirited. Next!"
Just then, the door handle turned. The late girl walked boldly through the sight lines of all her classmates, heading straight to the empty seat next to Nagayasu Megumi. She pulled out the chair and sat down almost simultaneously with Megumi, who had just taken her seat.
Megumi was completely oblivious to this, only breathing a sigh of relief, nervously wiping away the nonexistent cold sweat from her forehead while tucking several strands of unkempt blue hair behind her small ear.
This is bad... I battled that 'Game Console Monster' until dawn last night. If I fall asleep in class, I'm doomed...
Megumi wailed internally, reminiscing about the strange and exhausting experience of playing video games all night with the monster after transforming. A sudden inexplicable chill crept up her spine, and her hands instinctively moved down from the desk surface, quickly pressing down the hem of her uniform's short skirt.
Thanks to the desk's concealment, only she could see it—her skirt had been lifted by an invisible force, revealing a small section of tempting white absolute territory and a glimpse of light blue fabric edge.
Was it the wind again...?
Megumi instantly dispelled all drowsiness, gripping her skirt corners tightly with both hands, her cheeks slightly puffed out, those beautiful water-blue eyes vigilantly scanning the surroundings... However, as always, she found nothing.
"So strange... I get 'blown by wind' every morning..."
Megumi muttered quietly, carrying unresolved confusion.
The roll call finally ended, and the teacher surveyed the classroom with satisfaction.
"Very good, it seems everyone is here! Now let's begin class!"
She put down the roll call book and clapped her hands, completely unaware that there were twenty-four desks neatly arranged in the classroom while she had only called twenty-three names. On the roll call book, the twenty-fourth name "Nakana Tsuan" was clearly visible, yet it seemed to have never entered her sight.
Is it like this again?
The black-haired girl sitting beside Megumi—Nakana Tsuan—curved her lips into a barely perceptible, slightly bitter arc. Today's attempt had once again ended in failure.
Everyone still can't see me.
She turned her head to look at Megumi beside her, whose energetic face now appeared somewhat cute and confused due to drowsiness. Tsuan quietly apologized in a volume only she could hear.
"Sorry..."
After all, no one would hear it anyway.
She had been living this kind of life for who knows how many years. It wasn't simple invisibility, but a more complete "non-existence." Her name, her image, her actions—none could leave any trace in others' consciousness. If dusty objects in corners had an existence value of "1," then Nakana Tsuan's sense of presence was a complete and utter "0"—even dust couldn't be bothered to visit.
"Nagayasu Megumi! Please answer the third question on page twenty-two of the textbook!"
Megumi was suddenly startled awake, like a frightened fawn, her hands helplessly wringing together under the desk, her mind completely blank, having totally forgotten that the answer was printed right there in the textbook before her eyes.
Just then, a gentle voice, like a small stone dropped into stagnant water, created ripples in her frozen mind.
"Right here."
Consider this... compensation for lifting your skirt just now.
Tsuan silently pulled out Megumi's textbook, skillfully flipped to that page, and lightly circled an option with Megumi's pen.
Megumi's gaze was immediately drawn to that circle of black ink marks. Like grasping a lifeline, she happily clapped her hands, beamed a lively smile at the teacher, and loudly answered:
"This question is choice A!"
Sorry, teacher! I'll definitely listen carefully from now on!
"...This is a fill-in-the-blank question. Nagayasu Megumi, please go stand in the hallway until class ends."
"Eh?!"
Tsuan hurriedly flipped Megumi's book to the cover—oh no! This wasn't even the textbook for the current subject!
Sorry... Megumi-san. Next time, next time I'll definitely point you to the right answer... probably?
Tsuan playfully stuck out her tongue tip at the air, her crimson eyes carrying a hint of apology as she watched the dejected Megumi leave the classroom. The little bit of spirit she had just mustered also quickly dissipated with Megumi's departure.
She was absolutely certain that even though she had directly "caused" Megumi to be sent to stand in the hallway, Megumi would never realize her existence, and might even immediately forget how this "accident" had occurred.
Tsuan had long grown accustomed to this "zero sense of presence" life. No matter what she did, it was like throwing a stone into a bottomless abyss—it couldn't stir up any response.
Do good deeds? No one would know, let alone reward her. Do bad things? Similarly, no one would pursue it, and it wouldn't even be defined as "bad things"—just like when she ate a tomato, in others' eyes, only the independent event of "a tomato disappeared" would occur.
As for "who ate it"? This concept simply wouldn't arise. She was like a completely deleted ghost character in the world's operating rules—no matter what she did, the system couldn't detect her existence.
Tsuan tilted her head and let out a small yawn. Perhaps... this wasn't too bad? At least she could still do little, harmless "pranks" without worrying about consequences? Like... lifting the skirt of that energetic girl next to her every day?
She savored the soft sensation that remained on her fingertips from touching through the fabric, contentedly lying down on her desk. After adjusting to the most comfortable position, she took out her somewhat old phone, plugged in earphones, and randomly clicked on a video she had bookmarked.
On the screen, magical girl Luna in her gorgeous ice-blue magical outfit raised her shining ice crystal staff, channeling her magic into the fierce blizzard accumulating at the staff's tip, instantly freezing the evil monster.
Then, amid the cheers of the rescued hostages, the battle ended perfectly. The scene was paused at the moment Luna playfully turned toward the camera and waved, with her flowing blue hair, brilliant star-like blue eyes, and that dreamlike blue battle dress.
Tsuan slightly narrowed her eyes, pressed pause with her index finger, then gently slid the screen to the left, and pressed play again to watch Luna's heroic battle stance once more.
So beautiful... absolutely dazzling! Magical girls are really wonderful...!!
She pressed her lips together, couldn't help but close her eyes and begin fantasizing... If she were magical girl Luna, what would it feel like to be watched, encouraged, and praised by everyone...
Just then, Luna's gentle voice shattered her fantasy.
"Magical girls are symbols of hope, bridges connecting miracles! No matter what, we will never abandon anyone! So... if you encounter difficulties, don't be afraid!"
Luna showed the camera a smile that Tsuan believed she could never imitate, her crystal-clear eyes hiding gentleness capable of dispelling all gloom.
"Please boldly seek our help~ Whether it's me or my other companions, we will never abandon any soul yearning for light!"
No soul will be abandoned—this is the promise magical girls give to... everyone who needs protection.
These words, along with Luna's direct gaze into the camera, illuminated the depths of Tsuan's heart.
As long as you ask me for help, I will definitely extend a helping hand.
This was why she loved magical girls. And not just Luna who protected this city, but magical girls from other cities, with different styles, shining with different lights.
She collected their posters, learned their stories, and was willing to believe in the power of love and justice, friendship and bonds that they symbolized.
Because if even magical girls were helpless against her situation... then what... what else could she do?
The terrifying thought flashed by, and Tsuan immediately chose to escape that frightening reality through fantasy.
Maybe... maybe the reason I'm ignored by everyone is precisely because I have some mysterious connection with magical girls?
This was her most favored explanation for her current state.
So is it possible... that I might become a new magical girl?
The crisp sound of the class-ending bell awakened Tsuan. Only then did she realize her earphones weren't plugged in properly and had been playing out loud the whole time... but it didn't matter anyway.
After all, no one could hear it.
After Megumi returned to her side, she immediately pulled out the textbook for the next class from her bag, then instantly collapsed onto her desk like she'd had her bones removed. She had to seize every second to replenish her completely depleted energy—she seemed to have gotten distracted again watching cherry blossoms falling outside the window, and the teacher had reminded her to pay attention to rest.
Tsuan patted her shoulder somewhat guiltily, then stood up and skillfully avoided the teacher as she walked toward the restroom.
Cold water flowed with a rushing sound as she carefully washed her hands, her gaze naturally falling on the reflection in the mirror.
Black hair cascaded like a waterfall to her waist, crimson eyes clear and bright like the finest gems. Her features were so delicate they seemed like a carefully carved doll, and though her figure wasn't provocative, it carried the innocent charm unique to young girls.
Sigh... what a pity. Such a cute beautiful girl has been ignored by the whole world for so long.
She gently poked her own cheek and imitated a magical girl's signature smile in the mirror.
Huh... it's okay! As long as I find magical girl Luna, or any other magical girl... they'll definitely help me!
Maybe... maybe...
The girl in the mirror's cheeks quietly flushed with a light blush, her lips unconsciously curving into a smile full of longing, almost dreamlike.
Maybe my current state is itself some kind of precursor to a magical contract? Or... a trial I must go through to become a magical girl?
So... so it's definitely possible! I, Nakana Tsuan, definitely have the possibility of becoming a brand new magical girl... right?
Tsuan felt the temperature in her cheeks rising and hurriedly cupped cold water to splash on her face, trying to cool that burning expectation. At the same time, she began silently reciting the "Magical Girl Code of Conduct" that she knew by heart:
Primary Principle: Extend a helping hand to those trapped in hardship and danger, upholding fairness and justice in the world.
Power Precept: Magic is the torch of hope and must not be misused. Even when facing countless difficulties, courage and wisdom must come first.
Bond Oath: Never betray companions, always trust partners. The power of bonds surpasses countless magics.
Merciful Heart: Do not inflict irreversible severe harm on monsters. If harm is caused by mistake, sincere apologies must be offered, along with consolation gifts. After defeating monsters, guide them to recognize their errors, learn how to integrate into society, and compensate for the damage they caused.
Tsuan shivered slightly, admiration flowing through her heart like a warm current.
Magical girls... they even save and guide monsters who have harmed others?
Really so great...!
"So, as long as I can find a magical girl! Everything will get better!"
She clapped her hands somewhat happily, tilting her head slightly to let her silky hair sway in the mirror.
But unfortunately... the possibility of implementing this plan was almost the same as directly going to outer space to watch meteor showers—it was 0.
Because all magical girls' identities were secret, she simply couldn't make contact with them, so how could she ask for help?
It was said that two magical girls in the neighboring city were livestreaming and even had their own fan meet-and-greets... maybe she could try this approach?
But it was troublesome and dangerous.
Tsuan left the restroom, carefully avoiding a female classmate who was walking straight toward her.
No one could see her, which was fine in school and on sidewalks... but once she stepped onto roads, the danger level would multiply several times, or even far more.
So she had to abandon this plan and instead search for magical girls in the city where she lived.
Generally speaking, there would be two magical girls taking turns on duty in a city... if it was a large city, there might be three to four.
The black-haired girl skipped and hopped to avoid a mop swinging toward her shoes, making it back to the classroom just in time before class started.
"Really troublesome... how exactly can I find Luna or Amber..."