Alex asked, "What would you do if you were me?"
Fufi replied, "I would use my gift from the gods. With the magical powers and skills from the system, people can do things that are impossible in your world. For example, Emerald Dryad could build a house for someone with just a cute song, a nice dance, and a bag of seeds."
Alex was perplexed. How could someone make a house with just three things, two of which were intangible? He thought to himself, "How could someone even make a house with just a dance?"
The flamingo, "She would plant the seeds, then dance around them to encourage them to grow. The song was about how the plants would grow together to form a house. The house would have living trees for walls, a roof with vines filling in the gaps, and cute flowers decorating everything."
When Fufi told him that magic could make home builders obsolete. It felt like he was living in a different world, where anything was possible if a magical girl was cute enough. Alex muttered under his breath, "Is there no justice in this world?"
Fufi seemed to be listening. ""Justice and love are inherent to a magical girl's mission. For instance, you exemplified these qualities when you saved me after the truck accident and nursed me back to health. That act of love and justice confirmed you were the one I was destined to contract with." Fufi lowered her head, blushing. "I realize I was pushy and arrogant. You're an angel, truly. Have you ever considered becoming a winged magical girl?"
Alex ignored the suggestion to grow wings. "But why were you in my neck of the woods? There are surely people in this world who you could have contracted with."
"I was looking for someone special. And I found you." Fufi laid it on thick.
“That is a very generous opinion of me. But I don’t know anything about these lands or magic. You’d think a local girl, any local girl would be a better choice.” Alex pressed.
"That's where it gets complicated." Fufi stared off into space for a moment, "I tried this world first but the war with the demon queen is going really poorly for humanity. At this point in time it is more like they are mopping up the remains of the old nations. Most of humanity gets enslaved by the demon queen's forces and by that time they have lost potential as a magical girl. Only the children don't get corrupted but they are kept away from my kind by oppressive rulers."
"Why do they spare the children? One would think the forces of evil would have no qualms about corrupting the innocent." The pink-robed man asked.
Fufi became aghast, "Certain demons corrupt men by doing lewd things to them. Even the dark gods agree, sexual acts against children should result in divine punishment. Magical girls are effective against the demon queen's minions. Most have no defense against the power of cuteness."
Alex continued listening to the pink bird.
"Moving to a new continent, still plagued by demons, I faced the same challenge: finding a human with the potential to defeat the demon queen and form a contract. Eventually, Luna dispatched those of us struggling to bond with suitable partners to other worlds. I was unprepared for the fast-moving metal contraptions on the roadways, a stark contrast to our typically animal-drawn, albeit sometimes magical, carriages." Fufi gestured with her wings widely.
"I can drive my jeep and ride a horse from one of the nearby ranchers. I do miss my stuff. This would have been a whole lot easier if my cabin and all my stuff got transported here. Though in hindsight that might not have been a great idea. When we were in the carriage with Luna one of the things I really wanted to ask her for was some footwear." The black-haired human would have liked to have more time to prepare.
Fufi cocked her head. "I bet if you'd asked her with reverence, she would have granted your wish."
"If I wanted sturdy boots” Alex guess, “I suspect she would have given me the most luxurious high heels."
"She is the goddess of cuteness, after all," Fufi said. "She would have given you something beautiful for your feet. You should have just asked."
"True," Alex cringed. "That was my mistake. I should have at least asked for something to keep my feet dry and warm as I walked. I genuinely believed I could easily earn enough from a cobbler, but it's just us here now."
Alex headed out back and grabbed a stick and the rug he got earlier. He beat the rug and to get the dust and dirt out of it.
[New class skill acquired: Cleaning Level 1]
Looking up, Alex grumbled, "Sexist much system? I guess I now know how a woman feels when she is expected to do all the cooking and cleaning in a relationship. Ugh, cooking is probably a class skill for magical girls as well.
Fufi tilted her head. "Is this not how it is in your world?"
"Just because some women enjoy cooking and cleaning, it doesn't mean that all women do. Just because I am a man doesn't mean that I don't enjoy cleaning, and just because you are a woman doesn't mean that you do. Everyone should be free to enjoy the activities that they want, regardless of their gender." Alex felt the culture clash.
"Even though you are a man, you should still be able to do housework if you want to. It's not fair that the system forces people to do things they don't like, and denies them the opportunity to do things they might enjoy." Fufi added, “However, classes and skills are still a thing you’ll have to accept in this new world.”
Alex grimaced. "Everyone should have the freedom to choose their own path in life."
Fufi giggled, "I think you would be cute in a maid outfit holding a duster. The best maid outfits even give bonuses to cooking, cleaning and cuteness."
Alex grumbled, "Maybe you are missing the point." After beating the rug, he placed it on a stone table where he was planning to use that and the clothing Luna gave him for a makeshift bed. After going inside he noticed that the rug had a nice lavender smell to it.
He sniffed it. "That's weird I didn't put any perfume on this rug."
Fufi cheerfully explained, "That is your cleaning skill at work! Someone without a skill would have more trouble making it smell nice."
Alex forced himself to maintain an open mind and keep pushing forward. He knew things wouldn't be the same as in his old world. Setting aside the strange occurrences, he began preparing sashimi for them both. Without a sharp knife, avoiding injury was a concern. His best alternative was a rusty screwdriver. He scraped off the rust with a rock, hoping to make it more suitable. This worked surprisingly well; the metal was sparkling like new after just a few passes.
Fufi could see the surprise on Alex's face, "That's your cleaning skill at work. Aren't skills great?"
Alex couldn't complain. Yes he was just bad mouthing cleaning earlier but this skill stuff let him accomplish what should have been impossible.
Alex reluctantly said, "I guess I will have to thank Luna later for that skill."
Fufi nodded her beaked head, "You just did."
Alex took a bite of the sashimi, "Not bad. Not bad at all. The cuts are not great because I used a screwdriver but if we can find a rusty knife in one of the ruined buildings I can use the skill to clean it and make it like-new."
Fufi randomly stated another magical girl anecdote. "One of my siblings went to another world and found this bunny girl who used powerful cleaning magic. When the bun used cleaning magic to purify a dungeon core of a dreadful parasite she wanted to make a contract with her. However, it turned out that the heroine was summoned from another world to save that world. Luna told us it is rude to summon someone who has already been summoned and was still in the middle of a task. Considering that her first response to adversaries was to make friends with them, I believe she would have made a great magical girl."
Alex looked at the flamingo and blinked a few times. Things were quiet and awkward after that.
Fufi and Alex got ready for bed.
Alex asked, "Would you like to sleep in my bed?"
Fufi replied, "I usually curl up into a ball and stand on one leg when I sleep. I am a flamingo, after all."
Alex flopped on the bed and tried to get comfortable. "Fine, my bed is just a stone table with a rug on it anyway. It's not much different from sleeping on the floor. Hopefully it doesn't get too cold tonight."
"One more thing, you should check your phone." The pink bird suggested.
Alex opened the new app on his phone.
Name: Alex Parker
Class: Magical Girl
Level 2
Sex: Male
Strength: 15
Constitution: 15
Dexterity: 12
Intelligence: 7
Cuteness: 0 (naturally 0, +1 from equipped items -1 from dirty clothing)
Skills:
Cleaning: 1
Alex glared at the phone, "Ah, my cuteness stat went down."
"A magical girl must keep herself clean. When the sun comes up we should go to the river where you can wash yourself and your clothing." Fufi sagely explained.
“I could use a hot bath right now. We'll have to make one. Everything is so dirty." Alex didn’t picture a river, but a modern bathroom.
"Please think about calling Luna. She is a very caring goddess. She even went so far as to open portals to other worlds when it became apparent we could no longer find partners in this one. When she offered to transform you her intention was only to protect you. This world is very dangerous."
Fufi used guilt.
It was super effective.
Feeling guilty, Alex opened his phone and went to his contacts. The first name on the list was Luna, with a heart emoji next to it. The test read, "Call when you are ready to transform." Alex's finger hovered over the name, but then he turned off his phone and shook his head. "What was I thinking?"
"I know Luna cares about you and the rest of your flock of flamingos... hmm, wait, is flock the right word?" He opened his phone and tried to search for the collective noun for flamingos, but he didn't have an internet connection.
"No internet, darn it," he said.
Fufi chirped helpfully, "It's a flamboyance of flamingos."
"Thanks, what a silly word for a group of birds," Alex set down the phone. "I'm tired. Let's get some sleep."
Fufi found sleep easily, but Alex's night was restless. His makeshift hovel was drafty, forcing him to use the panties and blouse as a pillow and the skirt as a blanket. His feet were cold, and the robe was uncomfortably tight at the waist while being loose at the hips. The lack of underwear didn't help either.
Upon waking, Alex reached for his phone to check the time, then remembered he had turned it off. Fufi was still curled up in the same position. He wished the previous day had been a dream, but the meager structure he’d slept in confirmed he was still in another world.
Alex got up and dressed. He went outside to the stream to wash and dry off. His cleaning skill left his clothes looking fresh and his hair clean. He turned on his cell phone, which still had a 75% charge. Putting on his robe and pants restored his cuteness to 1, confirming that cleanliness was essential for maintaining his cuteness stat.
He collected tall grass and sticks, attempting to craft grass sandals, but they quickly disintegrated. Discarding them in the fireplace, he returned to the ruins in search of a carpenter's shop, hoping to find tools for making wooden shoes.
Alex's search led him through many ruined streets until he discovered an empty carpenter's shop. He cleared away debris and began looking for tools, knowing it would take time to find anything useful. He eventually unearthed a rusted set of woodworking tools in a leather case that fell apart upon opening. Using his cleaning skills, he scraped off the rust, making the tools usable. He then retrieved a log from the hovel where he had slept the previous night. With the tools, he fashioned simple wooden soles. Braiding grass for straps proved challenging at first, but he finally found a workable pattern, and the sandals turned out well enough.
"I give it 2 out of 10 for cuteness," Fufi inspected the footware. "It might work if you're going for the ninja or samurai magical girl look, but it doesn't match the rest of your outfit very well."
Alex rolled his eyes. "I have no intention of wearing sandals forever."
Fufi said, "Good. You need to look presentable for our adventure. I have an idea!"
Fufi stood up on her two legs and pointed her beak at Alex. "Get a straw that you can braid, and I'll be right back." Fufi flew off and returned in about five minutes with a mouthful of small white flowers with long stems. She dropped them in front of Alex. "Stick these in your braid for the geta's straps."
Alex did as instructed and braided them into a braid that resembled the strap on the sandals. Once it was finished, Fufi walked back over and placed them on Alex's feet. The sandals had a cute look to them with flowers sticking out along the strap. Oddly, the knot patterns had reformed themselves to resemble the same type of small flowers. Alex made sure to keep them hidden beneath his robe, but they still stuck out a bit.
Alex, hungry, spent the rest of the morning gathering berries and fruit from the spot Fufi had discovered by the stream the day before. He then prepared a meal of fruit, berries, and leftover fish, adding a little water to make it more palatable. Alex took a bite of his meal and grimaced at its blandness, but the fruit provided enough flavor to make it edible. He knew that food could be a challenge in this world, as most of the things they could eat might not be safe or simply not palatable. Alex was grateful for the food skills he had gained in the last world.
Alex asked Fufi, "Do you know where that adventurer's guild is that Luna mentioned? Maybe we can find the rift she mentioned."
"Not far from here. It is in a building with a sign lying next to it that has a rusted picture of some adventurers. Calling it a building is a bit generous though. The place doesn’t have a roof anymore." She gestured a wing in the direction.
Alex nodded. "Well then, let's go."
"It is only a few blocks away, follow me." She took off to the skies, leading the way.
Alex followed Fufi through the streets of what was once a nice city. They passed through several ruined streets, and by the time they neared the guild, Alex noticed that it was one of the most damaged areas in town. Perhaps a battle had been fought there in the past. They were able to navigate the rubble and found a decayed trap door that Alex easily lifted and set aside. He didn't have a light, and the stairs descended into darkness. However, he was able to make his way down slowly. Fufi followed him, and the gem in her forehead lit up, illuminating the space.
Startled by the pink light, Alex looked back. "Wow. I was worried about how we were going to find light."
"It is just one of my abilities. It is one of the least costly, so as long as I haven't used any big spells recently, I can keep it up for hours." She strutted down the stairs proudly.
Most of the furniture was completely decayed and unusable. There was a small room with a crooked door that was held on by only one bent hinge. Alex was able to yank the door off and look inside. There he found a strange obsidian pillar that went from floor to ceiling. The pillar had a seam in the middle that gave off a faint glow.
Alex pointed at the pillar. "Is what we were looking for?"
Fufi walked up and inspected the pillar. "Yes, this is the dungeon rift."
Expecting a cave, Alex asked, "So where is this dungeon?"
"Nowhere really. The magic creates something appropriate for the user, and when they clear the trial, it dissipates into the ether." Fufi pointed her beak at the magical pillar
Alex asked, "How does it work?"
"You just touch it with the intention of entering it." The pink bird explained.
Alex nodded. "Are we ready to do this?"
Fufi nodded as well.
Alex placed his hand on the pillar and thought about entering it. With a sound like scraping glass the pillar expanded from the seam in the middle and became a hollow circle. A speck of light in the center expanded until it created an oval sized portal that led to places unknown.
Fufi tried to enter the portal, but it wouldn't let her through. "Looks like you're on your own. I haven’t actually been inside a dungeon. Will you be okay without me?"
“I don’t have a choice," he said, his voice not sounding very confident. “If this place is as dangerous as it seems I need to clear it.”
Alex took a deep breath and stepped through the portal.
Fufi was left behind.