Unstoppable (9)

Unstoppable (9)

“You’ve made a big decision, haven’t you?”

“Of course. It’s already strange to work during vacation, but voluntarily taking on more work? Does this seem normal to you?”

“But as children of the world, Magical Girls inherently consider their duty to be their honor…”

“When they call you in, you’re suddenly children of the world? Shut up. This means it’s that important.”

After the incident was resolved, there was a brief period of time until my demands were met.

As I waited there, I shook my head, ignoring both the brave citizens who were discreetly taking my photos and Ren’s words that completely disregarded labor laws.

“But if we leave it alone, it will grow into cancer cells that will cause more troublesome issues later. It’s better to give a heads up so we can deal with it in advance.”

Before, I wouldn’t have cared what happened. But now that I was starting to enjoy the little pleasures of living here, I couldn’t tolerate any interference.

I could have indirectly informed them through Rene, but given how big this has become, I planned to make good use of the notoriety I’ve built up so far.

“Um, perhaps this incident could lead to your…”

“The Demon Realm won’t move. There probably won’t be any official contact between Earth and the Demon Realm.”

Ren was trying to gauge my reaction, but I firmly told him that wasn’t what he was worried about.

Moving the Demon Realm was impossible both realistically and in my heart. The angels wouldn’t sit idly by if demon legions suddenly started moving, and I disliked bringing my main job here even more than that.

“Hmm, I’m not sure if this will end well. But since they’ve heard some shocking things, maybe conflicts between Magical Girls will decrease for a while.”

Ren muttered in an uncertain voice. I felt the same way. Even though I had decided to make my voice heard in this society for the first time, how things would unfold after this depended on the others who would play the main roles.

“Let me ask you a few things.”

“Hii… hiiii…”

“Of course, it’s up to you whether you answer or not. That’s your freedom.”

When I revealed my identity and subdued the corrupt worm colony wearing Park Ji-tae’s shell.

I firmly grabbed the terrified creature’s tongue, pinned it to the ground, and stomped on it with my foot.

“Just a moment… Aaaaargh!”

And first, I pulled out the disgusting parasite-like body from inside the host and cut off a part of that body.

Then, something irritating that was connected to the outside, which I had felt from him, disappeared. As expected, he had been hiding some kind of scheme inside his body.

“When the dimensional gate opened, I was a bit late and missed everything. So I have a lot of questions for guys like you.”

“Kuhuk… kkeuk…”

“Don’t like the pain? Why? If you enjoy struggle, you should know how to enjoy pain too. First question. How many of you came through?”

As he seemed to become a bit more compliant, I started with the questions I had thought of in advance. Fortunately, he began to answer somewhat diligently.

“At, at least hundreds. After all, it was the only chance that opened in a world of loneliness and despair with nothing left. Rather than staying there, anyone would have escaped.”

“That’s disgustingly many.”

I had expected it, but it was even more than that. And would it really end there? The monsters have intelligence.

Those who have infiltrated human society will spread across the world at a pace incomparable to the previous trickle, and like the corrupted insect swarm under my feet, they will increase their forces in their own way.

“I doubt you know, but I’ll ask anyway. The dimensional gate, it definitely didn’t open naturally, right?”

“It, it probably didn’t. Maybe.”

But there was something even more important than that. Setting aside the fact that monsters have infiltrated the world on a large scale, I was really curious about who the root of all evil was that threw open the dimensional gate.

“Of course I don’t have such ability! Aaaargh! There’s one thing I’ve heard! It’s reliable information!”

Pain is the easiest weapon to obtain the truth.

Just by twisting and bending his body to inflict pain, he desperately wracked his brain to answer what he knew and didn’t know.

“We, we are just insignificant low-ranks, but among those who came over with us, there were some we couldn’t even dare to look at. I clearly heard what they said. That dimensional gate was definitely opened intentionally.”

“Aha. As I thought.”

After hearing the answer, I smirked and lifted my foot that had been stomping on him.

I had hoped it wasn’t true, but in the end, it turned out to be a fact.

This is the justification I wanted. Now all that’s left is revealing who’s behind this. I just have plenty of circumstantial evidence but no physical evidence, though this isn’t impossible to create.

“Wh-what are you planning to do if you find out who’s behind it?”

“You’re asking something too obvious, Ren.”

Ren flinched slightly at seeing my twisted smile and spoke carefully, but I really didn’t mind at all.

“I will make sure they pay the price for such a cowardly declaration of war. If necessary, for the crime of mocking the ruler of the demon realm, the entire demon realm will act.”

“You let your guard down, stupid girl!”

And it happened simultaneously—me looking down at Ren while speaking, and the fallen parasite swarm crawling on the ground attempting a counterattack by shooting out tentacles according to their instinct.

“Kyahak.”

Of course, its filthy tentacles couldn’t even touch my body.

The moment the shadow blades I spewed forth cut its body into pieces. Other ones who knew nothing broke through the basement door and rushed in. I exploded the shadows I had pulled up right there.

Now I had no attention to spare for such pathetic parasites.

*

“Lady Renée. As you said, everyone has stopped their activities for now.”

“Well done. It seems a great crisis has befallen this world, and we who protect this world and implement true justice cannot ignore it.”

Renée, who had climbed to the rooftop of her frequently used building, nodded at the report from Magical Girl Rina who had come to see her.

There was no other reason why she had temporarily suspended Casilena’s activities. Right now, on that large electronic display mounted on the building ahead, breaking news was streaming.

“Here. Watch with this.”

“…?”

“Y-you put the earphone in your ear.”

When Renée stared blankly at the display, Rina handed over her mobile phone and one side of her wireless earphones. As Renée held the earphone and stared at it blankly, a flustered Rina personally inserted the earphone into Renée’s ear.

‘What could she really be?’

Rina smiled awkwardly while looking at such a Renée. Though she had become a devoted follower, moved and inspired by the ideology Renée preached, Renée was an increasingly unique existence the closer you got to her.

She knew more than anyone else, yet at the same time, she knew nothing.

“…Why on earth did Takilas request a live-broadcasted press conference?”

“I don’t know. The only thing certain is that it’s not a trivial matter at all.”

On the mobile phone screen the two women were watching together, a live broadcast was also taking place. The content was, of course, the conference requested by Takilas, and in this unexpected situation, the attention of the whole world, including foreign media, was focused on it.

That’s why Renée was certain that this was an incredibly important matter. She knew that the Takilas she knew wouldn’t step up like this unless it was a truly significant issue.

“Uh… I think she might appear soon. As per Takilas’s request, they chose a location where people could gather most quickly.”

The podium with the microphone was still empty, and the anchor continued explaining with a slightly tense face.

At the scene, not only hastily gathered reporters but also military and government personnel, Management Bureau officials, and even some Magical Girls were staying outside the conference hall, keeping a close eye on the area.

“She’s here.”

And not long after, the camera shook momentarily and pointed to the gloomy sky.

A black dot that appeared there turned into a black shadow, spreading enormous undulating wings and quickly approaching to land on the ground.

In an instant, everyone who had been murmuring fell silent and focused on that moment.

‘Rain.’

Renée, who was watching the scene on her mobile phone, wiped off a large water droplet that had fallen on the screen and looked up.

Soon, the gloomy sky began to pour heavy raindrops towards the ground.

“The weather’s not good, is it? There’s only one reason why I’ve gathered you all here today for this event. If you don’t wake up from now on, you’ll continue to have such gloomy days forever.”

Takilas, who had naturally stepped onto the podium as if unaffected by the numerous gazes, opened her mouth without minding the rain soaking her body, and immediately got to the point.

“You think I’m lying? It’s fine if you think so. You’ll find out anyway when tens or hundreds of thousands start dying. You might think the last dimensional gate passed safely, but the monsters of Nevaros were originally the dominant species ruling a world. They’re fundamentally different from those lab-born monster rejects, like mammoths.”

There was no abbreviation or filtering in Takilas’s words. People started to stir, but she just smirked and didn’t stop talking.

“Who do you think I’m talking to right now? I’m talking to all of you. All of you watching this scene right now.”

She flashed her eyes at the camera.

“The era of living comfortably with a full stomach and warm back while spouting empty words close to vanity is over. The next 20 years after the appearance of magical girls might unfold a hellscape that will make the past seem like heaven. I still don’t know who deliberately designed this. But if it’s revealed.”

Takillas’s lips twisted. The intense killing intent that burst out for a moment was enough to freeze those around, even without magical power.

“I’ll consider it as picking a fight with me and will definitely kill them. That’s it. No rebuttals or questions accepted.”

This, which ended in just 5 minutes, was a kind of declaration of war, a serious warning, and at the same time, bait.

If the opponent reacted to this provocation, clues and justification could be gathered, and even if they didn’t react, it could confirm the fact that they had gained the upper hand.