episode_0019

First, I brought the girl with the broken rib down to the first floor.

Initially, she resisted quite a bit, but as soon as she saw the crowd of operatives gathered on the first floor, her movements ceased. It seemed she had realized that our lives and deaths were in our hands here. I have no intention of actually killing her, though.

The leader, who had been restraining me just a while ago, stopped in surprise when he saw that I had brought this girl along.

“….”

He seemed to be aware that something was off about the current situation. We looked at each other in silence, then I shrugged my shoulders first.

Pointing at the girl with the broken rib, the leader extended his palm upward. I shrugged my shoulders again.

Does the leader really not know what’s going on? I couldn’t tell if it was genuine or an act. Let’s assume he doesn’t know for now. After all, I’m not the only one who would be in trouble if he didn’t know.

We remained silent for a moment, then nodded at each other.

After the leader pointed at me and gestured to follow him, he indicated another operative and gestured toward the girl. It was a signal for us to guard them.

It was slightly amusing to see the girl’s pupils moving around as we pointed back and forth between our fingers.

That’s how we divided our forces.

Operatives stood guard in front of the first-floor room, monitoring the landlady. Other operatives were on alert towards the maid’s area. If she suddenly bursts out like her daughter, they would rush in, bind her, and roughly toss her aside.

There was a way to tie her up from the start, but it’s best to block the possibility from the beginning.

We also selected operatives to guard the girl.

You can hear even the slightest sound through the muzzle. So, we decided to stay a little further away. Fortunately, the mansion nearby where we could overlook the estate was the same place we first entered with the car.

After dividing our forces, the rest of us decided to enter the underground facility.

Luckily, the leader found the passage leading underground.

It wasn’t in a very difficult place. At first glance, it looked like a boiler room, but there was a section covered with boards on the inner floor.

At first glance, it seemed too casually covered, but considering that few people come in this far, this much should not be a big problem.

They probably didn’t expect us to go this far.

……

Thinking about it now, it was a bit scary.

This is a crime, isn’t it? Even if the government turns a blind eye to it to some extent, we’ve coerced a minor. Anyone who thinks this won’t be a problem is the one with the real issue.

……88 percent.

The circuit’s readings probably remain at that level due to such thoughts.

Let’s finish this quickly. Regardless of how it ends.

After clearing the rubble, I think I know why Jojang called me. The entrance was in the form of a safe. It had a dial in the center, the kind that opens when you turn the dial to the correct numbers. It’s probably enough for someone who doesn’t know to think it’s a personal safe. There were some rusty marks around the entrance of the safe, and parts of the exterior were a bit corroded. Next to it, there was a spent grenade rolling around.

So, it couldn’t be opened. There was a reason they needed my help. There are other operatives wearing similar combat gear in other squads, but right now, I was alone here. I don’t understand the reason. Could it be related to our mission? For a moment, that thought crossed my mind, and I quickly shook it off. Let’s focus. I want to finish this unpleasant task as quickly as possible and get out of here. It would be better if a magical girl showed up now. I could make an excuse and escape.

But with my strength still at a whopping 88 percent, it was more than enough to break into this safe. Even with equipment like this, if I can’t win, how strong must a magical girl be? Taking a deep breath, I entered the safe. Unlike the slightly messy and dusty boiler room outside, the inside was quite clean. Well, it is a research facility after all. It feels like something out of a zombie game series. They’re not researching zombies, but it’s probably something like a hope circuit.

I took out the grenade-shaped equipment I had brought and pulled the pin. I rolled the cylinder emitting a faint smoke, but there was no laser here. Perhaps it’s because it’s a research facility. Anyone coming in here should be able to navigate without a problem from the start.

Jojang followed me in and tapped my back. With his finger, he pointed in the opposite direction of where I was looking. What expression could be inside there? Annoyance at being dragged in? Resignation at the inevitable? Whatever it was, it wouldn’t be a good one. And so, I thought it was fortunate. With the helmet obscuring my face, there was no need for a fight.

Splitting the operatives into two groups, we began our search.

*

The secret facility clandestinely built within the house wasn’t as spacious as expected. We couldn’t dig into the adjacent building, and it wasn’t feasible to dig a tunnel underground in the middle of Seoul without drawing attention. So, the scale was two floors, about the size of the mansion above.

The researchers inside were relatively easy to find.

“Shh!”

I carried the man tied up on the upper floor over my shoulder, just like I did with his daughter. He didn’t struggle much. It seems he realized how dire the situation was. A high school girl carrying an adult man on her shoulders might look odd to others, but given the circumstances, it might not seem that strange.

When I first entered this place, I heard the sound of someone running towards me from the opposite side when I got close to where I had written. Over there were two researchers. Somehow, it seemed like the team leader inside the helmet would be smiling confidently and pointing upward with a bold gesture—

Bang!

A loud noise came from beyond.

“……”

We all froze, looking up. Though no one had entered the boiler room yet—

“Kweok!”

…We heard the distorted voice coming from the combat helmet. We lowered our heads and looked at each other again.

“This is just great,” the team leader muttered.

I felt exactly the same.

*

I had expected it to turn out like this. It wasn’t the incident from the original work, but magical girls always seemed to show up whenever we were up to something, almost as if they were substituting for the Galactic Federation’s operatives.

“It’s you guys.”

As we climbed up the building, a red-haired girl was standing confidently. Below her was another girl still tied up. She seemed to be staring at Rose, as if questioning why she hadn’t been released yet, but somehow I understood. If the hostage moved around, it would only cause more interference.

…Next to her was a girl with a violet ponytail.

Are the rest still on their way?

“Did you think you could maintain such a secret facility without anyone noticing?” Happy Rose, the red-haired magical girl who seemed to be treated a bit foolishly, spoke.

Nearby, the operatives lay strewn about.

Beep beep beep!

A sense of dread washed over us, and a sound came from the helmet.

91 percent.

Is it bearable? Can we do it?

Iris’s attacks hurt, but there was still hope that the battle would definitely end if we could withstand them. But Rose was different. Her attacks were pure hand-to-hand combat.

If you get hit, it’s an automatic arrest.

She’ll be released soon enough, so there’s no need to worry about that, but if the helmet comes off, Ha Yoon will surely find out. Besides, I’ve shown my face to those two before, albeit only once.

93 percent.

I could feel the cold sweat inside the helmet. In the corner of my vision, one of the operatives seemed to be writhing. Is he trying to escape? He was slowly inching his way towards Rose.

No way?

“Uhp uhp!”

The researcher on his shoulder squirmed. Did he think there was hope of escaping?

…Alright.

There’s only one way anyway.

There has always been only one way.

“Let’s go!” The team leader said, jumping forward.

Perhaps because the researcher was on his shoulder, he seemed a little stiffer than usual.

A white beam appeared, and the team leader rolled on the ground.

“I won’t make the same mistake as last time today.” Iris raised her gun, speaking calmly toward the fallen team leader. It wasn’t a warp grenade today.

Hostage rescue mission.

Beep beep beep!

96 percent.

My heart raced as if it had gone insane.

I dashed forward.

A streak of white light soared. It seemed to be aiming at the researcher, a thin, jagged beam of light.

Thankfully, I should be able to stop this without a battery.

“Ugh!”

It hurt, but…

“Where are you going!”

Rose rushed in, but just as she did, Jigu Bba firmly grabbed her leg.

“What—”

While Rose was momentarily taken aback, I ran past her.

Another beam of Iris’s light flew towards us. This time, I perfectly blocked it using the battery. However, I couldn’t recharge the battery. In addition to Jang and me, another researcher was carrying an injured colleague.

Iris aimed in their direction, and once again, there was a beam of light. The researcher screamed as they fell to the ground with a blocked mouth, but their speed slowed significantly midway. It was Iris’s magic.

Whoosh.

With a slightly flashy flutter of her skirt, Iris turned in our direction. Floating in the air, her gentle movements seemed like a dance.

I rolled forward. I tried to shield the researcher’s body as much as possible. After all, they were a hostage… to some extent.

Mid-roll, I let go of the researcher, rolled a few times, then got up.

Thud!

The sound of a fist hitting Jigu Bba’s helmet, which had held onto Rose’s leg, echoed.

Part of the helmet shattered, revealing the face of the Jigu Bba inside. They collapsed on the ground.

98 percent.

I unsheathed my blade.

This time, instead of stepping back, I dashed forward, directly towards Iris.

Iris seemed to have expected that. She calmly aimed at me.

Precise aim—

She fired as is.

“…Gasp!”

I barely managed to reload the battery midway, but I couldn’t completely block the impact.

Ping!

I saw a fuse emerging from Iris’s gun.

It was a different shape than usual.

I see.

Fuses are inserted into guns to regulate power. If it’s too strong, the firearm can’t handle it. Carelessness could turn someone into a murderer.

Iris changed the fuse.

Something that could definitely subdue me.

There was no hint of a smile on her face.

99 percent.

Beep beep beep!

A piercing noise rang in my ears.

I heard the sound of wind splitting beside me.

As I quickly turned my body and swung the blade,

“Ouch.”

Rose effortlessly lifted herself into the air with a light movement.

Our eyes met as she hung upside down.

Thud!

The trajectory of the blade leaped and narrowly missed Rose’s punch, which came flying towards me. I managed to pull back just enough to minimize the impact, but my head felt like it was spinning.

Thud!

Right after, I unleashed a burst of power using a new battery. Not a blade, but an explosion akin to shrapnel.

“Ugh!?”

Rose’s body seemed to have taken a hit, as she staggered slightly upon touching the ground. The laser flew to where I had been standing just moments ago. Crash! Part of the house was shattered.

“What is this…!”

Perhaps alerted by the commotion, the girl who had tried to hit me at school came outside.

“Hey, lady, just wait a moment—”

Before she could finish, I plunged into Rose’s arms. I swung the blade. Rose, though a bit flustered, easily dodged it.

“Be careful,” Iris said. “Unlike other combatants, she charges in even when alone.”

Click. A new fuse was loaded into the gun. While dodging Rose’s punch, I pondered why she had replaced the fuse. She hadn’t fired enough to empty a magazine. If it had been preloaded, she could have easily fired up to five shots. Could the fuse be of a special type? At first glance, I couldn’t tell. But if, for some reason, its length prevented it from fitting inside the gun’s magazine—

Bang! A jolt struck my head. It was a powerful impact that might have obliterated my head if it had landed directly. I was flying through the sky. Just before landing, I managed to touch down and stagger to a stop. I could endure this. The new suit had quite decent performance.

“Today, I will definitely catch you, fierce combatant,” Iris said, walking through the air.

Clack. The muzzle was aimed at me. “I’ll make sure to see the face behind that fancy helmet today.”

Whirr. For a brief moment, a charging sound was heard, and a white light enveloped my vision. I leaped sideways, but I couldn’t entirely evade the thick beam. What allowed me to dodge at the last moment was what Iris had said earlier. If I didn’t evade, I would surely be caught. And if caught, I would have to reveal my face. That’s why today, Iris hadn’t used her warp point technique at all. It was solely to capture me.

One magical girl was precisely targeting me.

Beep beep beep beep beep!

100 percent.

It seems my leg isn’t broken, but it hurts incredibly. Perhaps I could barely stand due to the suit’s functionality. Sturdy clothing also prevented my leg from breaking. Besides, the circuits were whirring like crazy, continuously recharging energy.

Iris’s right hand aimed towards the bolt of the firearm.

Another shot and then a reload.

I dashed forward. Before me, Rose appeared. As our fists collided, she exclaimed, “Huh?” At the same time, I detonated the energy in the circuit again from my right hand.

I couldn’t neutralize Rose or break the gauntlet, but I could at least push her back a bit. I crouched down, leaning my waist below the armpit that had been pushed back and moved in closer towards Iris.

Iris slipped her hand into her skirt and pulled out a pistol. I had expected as much. I raised my arm. The shield couldn’t expand any further. Bang, bang, bang, the sound of gunfire echoed, and something hit my arm.

Strangely, the pain wasn’t as intense as I thought it would be. The pain in my legs was the same. My circuits were still operating at 100 percent. If I don’t incapacitate Iris, I won’t be able to escape. Is this desperation overriding my despair circuit?

I saw Iris look slightly flustered as she watched me continue to advance despite being shot. The distance was too close to aim with a rifle. The pistol wasn’t useless, but it couldn’t completely stop me. Then, more shots rang out in succession.

There was pain throughout my body, but I didn’t stop. Will I be able to go to school tomorrow like this? Such thoughts crossed my mind. Clenching my fist, I moved toward Iris—

Thud. But then Rose’s strong grip struck my back. I fell forward, sliding across the ground. The grass where I passed was all overturned, and the dirt floor was exposed. Inside the house, someone screamed. I tried to get up again. 100 percent.

The power didn’t go into the arm. The circuit kept running.

A desperate situation. That’s probably why the circuit is still running.

But no matter how much auxiliary power there is, it’s meaningless if there’s no strength in the body for that power to assist.

Footsteps were heard.

“So, by relying only on the device, you’re putting yourself in danger at a critical moment.”

“It seems like you don’t consider the gauntlet as just a ‘device,’ right? I wouldn’t be in this situation unless it was for this star-shaped thing.”

My heart raced like crazy. Pain rushed in belatedly. It felt like tears were about to fall from my eyes.

As I reached out my arm to start the machine, the conversation between the two continued.

“This is a bit pitiful.”

“Pitiful, isn’t it? Even though he’s a mercenary for an unscrupulous company.”

100 percent.

“We finally get to see each other face to face. Don’t worry too much. You’re talented, so once you spill the information, we might help you on our end.”

“Oh, this is sincere. We also have a shortage of manpower in our own way.”

…Do they think their fate is in their hands?

It was true. My true identity would be revealed soon.

And surely, to Ha Yoon—

100 percent.

Beep beep beep beep—

———.

Suddenly, the sound inside the helmet cut off. Like something had malfunctioned.

100 percent—

0 percent.

Now, it’s over…

1 percent.

The circuit grows hot.

I looked at my wrist due to the sound of something spinning like crazy, and there was a compass needle spinning like crazy.

The needle spinning in the opposite direction of the clock seemed to have lost its function.

Sparks were flying.

It looked incredibly dangerous no matter how you looked at it.

I got up from my seat.

“….What?”

Rose sounded a little flustered.

I raised my left hand, making crackling sounds, and swung it towards Rose. The blade was much longer than usual. It had a long shape, and it looked as if it were burning.

Rose, thinking it was too dangerous to confront that figure, bowed her body—

And her face was heading towards my knee.

She was Rose, who blocked the knee kick with both hands, but she jumped back in retreat.

She held her hands up and looked at them.

And those two hands were trembling a bit, perhaps due to the shock a while ago.

Rose looked at me with a bewildered expression.

Yeah.

I’ve always been the one to win.

Of course, I should be able to beat anyone.

There wasn’t a single bottom-tier magical girl. At least middle class, or even the granddaughter of a company chairman.

In the first place, I’ve never really taken a hit, right?

There was a white light from behind.

My body was in pain.

I turned around.

There was Iris standing there with an alarmed expression.

She took the beam head-on.

Part of her suit was torn. Her skin hadn’t been exposed yet, but she was in a dangerous state.

But I stood there as I was.

It was a stroke of luck that the helmet didn’t shatter.

2 percent.

Crackle, crackle.

The circuit was reaching its limit. In just a little while, it would completely break down and become meaningless.

Something dark and sticky was slowly dripping around the circuit. I don’t know what it is, but judging by the color change of the grass, it’s not good.

Like something thick and sticky spread beneath a person’s emotions.

…..

What would Hayoon think if she saw me?

Scary.

3 percent.

But still.

Even so—

If I didn’t strike back at these two, I felt like I wouldn’t be able to bear it.