Ifrit's Story

Nocturnal Strolls and a Stroll Buddy

Elemental Forest

A cold feeling washes over me, and my entire body shudders. There's also a strange sound coming from somewhere...

The bushes next to me rustle a bit, and a warm energy flows towards me.

Brushing aside the foliage, I saw flames dance in the darkness.

Ifrit's flame attack grazes me as it flies past.

The closer I get, the warmer it becomes, and I momentarily debate whether or not to take out the marshmallows in my pocket. They would roast quite nicely.

I grumble to myself that these elementals don't know how to do things in moderation.

I'm somewhat dubious... but let's just give her the benefit of the doubt.

Thrilled by the acquisition of a portable heater, I decided to come out for evening strolls more often.

And, surprisingly, the night strolls with Ifrit are very enjoyable.

Ifrit scratches her chin lightly and ponders. She then responds...

Then, with a rustling sound, something dark rolled out before my eyes.

Flames bounce rapidly into the distance, gradually fading away into the dark forest.

An Elemental's Dream

Ifrit's Dwelling

Feeling betrayed by Ifrit, who ran away without me, I slam open the door to Ifrit's home.

And as soon as I open the door, I see Ifrit jump up, startled.

Ifrit pats her chest and lets out a shivering sigh of relief.

Ifrit's shoulders droop.

Ifrit's shoulders droop. Maybe I said something wrong?

Attuned to the feelings of others? Surprising because the Ifrit I know is nothing like that at all.

Embers fly out of Ifrit's eyes as she sobs.

Ifrit turns her head away slightly. She seems to be blushing. It must be my imagination.

Ifrit's eyes suddenly flash and sparkle.

Not as a figure of speech, but her eyes are literally burning and glowing brightly.

Ifrit grabs me by the collar and shakes me vigorously, making me gasp for breath.

Ifrit shouts in joy with a gleeful expression.

Hmm... her chest seems to be swelling up... Should be alright, right? It looks like her eyes are shooting out beams of light... Is it all in my head?

I watch Ifrit blaze with joy, and sweat drips down my cheeks... It's so hot... Yeah... I'm gonna melt...

All of a sudden, my sweat goes cold... How does one become a heroine again...?

Becoming a Heroine 101

Forest Clearing

Ifrit exercises diligently and moves in sync with my whistle.

Ifrit's flames shoot up in surprise before settling down again.

I apologize half-heartedly as I consider another method.

Ifrit closes her eyes tightly and jumps into the falling waterfall.

Ifrit gradually becomes smaller until she shrinks to the size of an ember.

And she drifts further and further.

I quickly rush into the water to rescue the shrunken Ifrit. Naia squats down next to us.

Ifrit and I lay on a boulder, catching our breath. Suddenly, a dark shadow looms over us.

We jump into each other's arms out of fright. Ifrit, who has dried herself a suitable amount, instantly dries my clothes out.

With a deep sigh, I glare at Naia before explaining Ifrit's personality improvement project to Mayo.

I am quite dubious about this, but since Plans A and B had failed, we have no other choice but to follow Mayo.

Wish Belt

Mayo's Home

I look down at the slightly worn belt.

Ifrit reaches out for the belt with shining eyes. And then...

With a sharp slap, Mayo smacks Ifrit's hand away, her expression turning very serious.

I boldly shout while pulling out my wallet.

That... makes sense, actually. I look back at Ifrit while scratching my head.

With a proud "ahem", Ifrit bursts into flames, puffing out her chest.

Being at a complete loss, I scratch my neck while Ifrit is mumbling about where to get the last one.

Something caught on my finger. It was a dry-cleaning tag.

Mayo takes the dry-cleaning tag and tosses the Wish Belt.

Back Alley, Sprite Village

Holding the belt in our hands, we call Mayo back while knocking on her door.

With an exasperated look, Mayo fastens the belt around Ifrit's waist.

The door slams shut, and Mayo's home shows no sign of reopening.

Henshin★

Monatium

After trying everything to remove the squeezing belt, we finally make our way to Monatium.

Suddenly, a loud amp sound blasts with a "bang!"

Suddenly, a crowd of cheering elves comes rushing over.

The booming beat of music fills the town square.

The ecstatic cries of the elves echo all around.

And then...

With the beat pumping from the amplifier, Ifrit begins to rise higher and higher while holding onto my hand.

I'm starting to remember how the transformations of heroines and magical girls are often paired with exciting background music.

Drawing the attention of the elves, Ifrit rises up and says the exact kind of words I was expecting.

The sky fills with stars, heart symbols and all kinds of glitter as the magical transformation unfolds in sync with Festa's song.

As Festa's song ends, so does the transformation.

Ifrit lands, and the elves crowd around her in celebration.

As the next song echoes, Ifrit starts floating up to transform again.

Ifrit lands again once the song ends. Surrounded by excited elves asking for autographs, she begins signing them with immense pride.

Superhero vs. Monster

Elemental Forest

Thanks to Ifrit's transformation, Festa's surprise concert was a huge success, making "HAM PROJECT" a hit record.

An elemental who's passing by starts humming Festa's song, and Ifrit transforms again.

Is this all because of her wish, or because Mayo got involved...? Poor Ifrit.

Ifrit covers her ears and runs with a look of utter dread.

Mayo's Home

We barge into Mayo's home and explain the situation.

Ifrit grabs Mayo by the collar and shakes her.

The shop's door opens, and a witch walks in.

Ifrit and I gulp and look over at Mayo.

I cover my mouth as tears well up. Another victim of the belt is standing right in front of us...

With a burst of dazzling effects, the witch transforms to a monster.

Just as Ifrit grabs Mayo by the collar, music kicks in. It seems that every time a superhero fights a monster, background music automatically starts playing.

This is supposed to be a hype moment paired with exciting background music, but both the superhero and the monster look dead inside.

Mayo puts on 3D glasses, munching on popcorn while watching the lifeless battle unfold.

Ifrit hits the monster with a weak punch. The monster responds by collapsing half-heartedly onto the ground.

With a click, the belts finally unlock, returning them both to their original forms.

As soon as they revert back, Ifrit and the witch hurl their belts at Mayo and leave the place in a blink.

Mayo easily dodges the belts. She picks them up and smirks.