Inspection Department Ear Grab

“I hear Inspection has a move where you can control your opponent perfectly just by grabbing their ear,” said Patricia.

    - Magical Girl Raising Project: Episodes Φ; "The Elf of the Inspection Department"



The sword was easy bait. It was because she figured it would be effective on the enemy that she’d decided to use it to draw particular attention to it. She’d used it as such to go all in on the thrust to the eye — which had also been bait. Avoiding that attack had put Marguerite’s right hand close to the enemy’s head.

When Marguerite’s thumb touched the enemy, she did not draw it away, using her index, middle, and ring fingers as well to grab the goddess’s ear. The goddess ignored this gesture from Marguerite and tried to grab at her — then lost her balance and staggered. Her fingers, which had started to touch the goddess’s collar, swiped through air.

In the instructional unit of the Inspection Department, a number of techniques had been passed down through generations — such as the Department’s method of walking, breathing, and tying. The technique of grabbing an enemy’s ear and controlling their movements was one of those. Marguerite, who had worked as an instructor, had of course learned it.

The enemy’s state was communicated through the ear in her fingers. Marguerite had a hold on the thickness of her flesh, the unnatural feel of her body’s make, and everything else as she read the enemy’s movements based on the minutest changes, forestalling them to make her own moves. She didn’t actually have complete control over the enemy. But she handled and subdued the enemy just as if she did.

The goddess pitched forward, stumbling as she swung about one arm, trying to thrust in an elbow and drop in a knee, trying to rip off her own ear, and Marguerite dealt with each one of those movements, gradually throwing the enemy’s center of gravity further and further off.

    - Magical Girl Raising Project: Breakdown; Chapter 21



That the ear-grabbing technique that isn’t supposed to leave the department is actually known on the outside and is depicted in the short story “The Fairy of the Inspection Department.” There was no time to use it in the story of Limited, but the ace of the Inspection Department, Hana Gekokujou, can also use this technique.

    - Magical Girl Raising Project: Breakdown; Afterword