episode_0038

The antenna seemed to be about the height of a ten-story building, but that didn’t mean it was without weaknesses.

First, it wasn’t as heavy as one might expect for its size. While it was impossible for one person to move it, it was assembled inside with parts brought from outside, and being in the middle of a 50-story building meant there was a weight limit.

It seemed like the plan was to protect the antenna by making the building that housed it sturdy.

So, the exterior of the antenna was a shape that could be easily cut through with my blade.

The shape of the antenna was like a horse’s hoof, or you could say it resembled a U-shaped magnet or a sound hook. It seemed that a narrow, elongated shape towards the top fit better.

The reason I thought of it as a long whip-like shape was that from the entrance on this floor, the two pointed ends perfectly overlapped when viewed from the side, making it look like one.

James said that the antenna had two major weaknesses.

One was the connection point between the building and the device, and the other was a crucial part for the proper functioning of the device.

Finding the ‘connection point’ wasn’t that difficult. As a machine, the possibility of malfunction always existed, and naturally, there were accessible parts for maintenance.

And just like those ‘accessible parts,’ the walls of this building weren’t as thick as the entire structure.

Since the purpose was to destroy it, I didn’t wield the blade with caution.

I inserted the blade into the floor, more precisely into a lock mechanism resembling a maintenance hatch, and sparks flew. Even though I knew it wouldn’t harm me, I flinched slightly.

By the way, James was hanging behind me. It seemed he knew he would be safe.

Did he have something to say?

Thinking again about what bear meat might taste like, I tore off the cover of the maintenance hatch. I ripped it off too forcefully, causing the metal plate left over to shatter and fly backward.

Inside, thick and thin wires were neatly arranged, their colors making it clear where each connected.

“Cut it messily as much as possible. Can’t we melt copper or rubber with that?”

As he said, I swung the two blades wildly. Sparks flew again, but this time I didn’t flinch. I had confirmed earlier that I wouldn’t get hurt.

Wires were cut haphazardly, and as James said, some were mashed together. In the process, some wires short-circuited, causing sparks to fly everywhere.

Several computers surrounding the antenna at the center shut down. Some of them looked like server computers.

“It might be good to cut the lines of the server computers thoroughly. That way, the confusion among the troops coming here will intensify.”

The building walls were thick. Naturally, it was an environment where wireless internet couldn’t be used.

This building wasn’t anything special in that regard. Even in newly constructed buildings like high-rise apartments or villas, communication or internet connectivity is often poor until separate receivers are installed. Using a cellphone normally inside such buildings is difficult until then.

Moreover, even without James telling me, as a former combatant, I knew:

All company services use the company server’s intranet. It’s a security measure.

Of course, the server in front of me wasn’t controlling everything—

“It also serves to connect the outside and the building. With just that antenna, it can do everything.”

So, if both the server computer and the cables are disconnected, this place will be cut off from the communication network.

Satellites or whatever else, you need waves to reach them to use them.

I grabbed the rack of the server computer with both hands and pulled it down.

With a loud noise, the rack toppled forward, and the computers inside spilled out.

Then, I grabbed all the neatly placed cables at the back and yanked them out all at once. Some of them snapped due to the fixed parts typical of LAN cables, but I didn’t pay much attention to that.

“….”

“Why?”

“No, you’re doing well.”

For some reason, when James asked quietly, he calmly replied.

I shrugged, then proceeded to smash each computer one by one. I stabbed with the blade, drew lines, kicked, punched, and threw things on the table.

After bending a laptop backwards and hitting it on the desk a few times to remove the keys, I felt quite satisfied.

“…Looks like you’ve accumulated a lot.”

“No need to put it into words.”

As I replied while catching my breath, James fell silent for a moment.

Bang!

After wreaking some havoc below the antenna, the part of the door I had blocked exploded.

“Oops.”

“You don’t need to worry too much. As you saw a little while ago, the combatants have bullets. Considering how damaged it is already, do you think there would be a fool to shoot on top of that?”

That’s true.

“Also, we have business to attend to upstairs. Can you make it up there?”

Honestly, I still don’t know how to fly in the sky. I did manage to fly before transforming, but it wasn’t really intentional.

However, it wasn’t like there was no way.

I took a few steps back,

“Hold on tight.”

Saying that, I leaped forward with strength.

With all my might, I jumped up by kicking the ground.

Thud!

I hung the blade on the antenna.

After striking with one blade, I put pressure on my legs to bend my knees and lift myself up, then placed my foot towards the antenna.

At first glance, it may seem like I’m sitting crouched with my foot on the antenna.

“……”

“Why?”

“No, it’s nothing.”

When I asked James, who fell silent again, he responded as if something was bothering him.

Why are you acting like this?

If something’s bothering you, at least say something.

Bang!

“Are you crazy!?”

Someone below shot at me. Fortunately, the bullet missed me, but another combatant who seemed to be a sergeant grabbed the shooter’s gun and shouted, “Will you take responsibility if the antenna breaks!?”

How thin is this metal plate?

Well, it wasn’t meant for military use in the first place, and since it was being defended so meticulously, it didn’t necessarily need to be physically robust.

Moreover, I started from the middle layer. Considering that the magical girl hasn’t made it down here yet, it could be considered a significant advantage.

“Let’s go.”

Saying that, I drew my blade.

And I ran forward.

“Suck!”

It’s something an ordinary person couldn’t even imagine. The sound of stepping on and leaping off a vertically stretched structure.

But my magically reinforced body made it possible.

I didn’t jump all the way up in one go.

Slip.

I managed to climb up a bit, but eventually slipped without defying gravity with my foot.

I hung the blade again to hold on.

Clang!

And something flew towards me and hit the antenna. Unlike the bullet that was fired earlier, it didn’t pierce through, but if it had hit where the blade was, the blade would have been dislodged and fallen down.

Clang!

Thud!

The combatants below seemed to think it was a good idea and started throwing objects at me from below.

Both they and I were moving somewhat seriously, but honestly, it’s a bit absurd.

Well, they probably have no way to come up here, so that’s why they’re doing this—

And just as I was leisurely thinking about that, I almost fell straight down.

Splash!

From head to toe, I got soaked in water.

As I tried to look down, my face was pushed upwards by the strong water pressure.

I don’t know whose idea it was, but someone below had pulled out a fire hose and was shooting it towards me.

James fell down, making spluttering sounds, and I quickly reached out to grab him.

“Squelch!”

I must have grabbed him too hard because James let out that sound. He felt soft and warm like a hamster. He was wet, so he didn’t feel fluffy, but he wasn’t rough either.

“What the heck is this squelch!?”

I tried to say something, but due to the water shooting up from below, the interpreter device started crackling in the middle of my sentence.

This won’t work.

I created a blade in my left hand, which was holding James.

“Squelch! Squelch!”

James made a frightened sound when he saw it, but I didn’t pay much attention. Well, I did pay some attention. I didn’t want to squeeze too hard and hurt him.

Clang!

And I lifted myself up by chopping upwards like climbing a cliff.

As I ascended, it seemed like the force shooting water from below was getting stronger.

The blade was attached firmly to my arm, shapeless in essence. Magic is strange; it changes its physics based on the user’s perspective.

While it can easily cut through thick steel, if it were like that here, I wouldn’t be able to hang on like this.

Or maybe the antenna was made using some magical means. Perhaps the circuitry redirected the magic to provide some protection, similar to how the combat suit infused with magic could withstand some impact.

Thinking about various things, I climbed higher and higher.

There were almost no more things flying towards me now.

It’s not a situation where someone who shot at the antenna and broke it could use a parachute.

This is

My whole body is soaked, and I can feel my body temperature dropping. It’s not to a dangerous extent, though—

“James?”

I cautiously called out to James, who had been silent since I grabbed his hand.

James was lying with his eyes open.

…

Is he dead?

Did I squeeze too tightly in the middle—

“Cough.”

Contrary to my worries, James spat out water and took a deep breath.

“You almost died, didn’t you!?”

And as soon as he opened his eyes, he scolded me.

“So, what should we do next?”

Ignoring my words like he sometimes does, when I asked James, he sighed.

“…We’re in the middle. Don’t worry about things like electromagnetic waves. I’ve cut enough down there to be safe.”

Glancing down briefly, a gunshot rang out, prompting me to immediately pull my head back. Right, if I stick out, it doesn’t matter if they shoot, right?

The combatants gathered below began to disperse in all directions. The antenna was about ten floors high, so maybe they were looking for a spot at a height where they could face me.

I moved quickly.

Just as James said, there was a round object resembling a pot lid precisely in the “middle” of the antenna shaped like a gun barrel.

“Do we break this?”

“…No, let’s not do that.”

“What?”

What’s he saying now?

As I stared quietly at James, his face contorted.

How distorted would a hamster’s face look if you tried to distort it? It seemed like a small dog baring its teeth and showing its body. No, it looked even more pathetic. Anyway, it wasn’t a hamster. You might see blood if it bit you, but it couldn’t bite my neck.

And most importantly, that expression wasn’t one of resentment towards me.

The expression he showed while transforming earlier and yelling at me to transform was similar, but fundamentally different.

The corners of his mouth were slightly upturned.

“Let’s take what’s inside here with us. I think you can handle it well enough.”

Saying that, James, looking up at me, had a face—

That seemed like he was ‘smiling.’

*

Thud!

Just because Hayoon wasn’t receiving energy, it didn’t mean the magical girls would lose to the combatants.

Moonjeong had the power to break through. Of course, she couldn’t make a hole in the wall.

In fact, she had already tried. But the wall here wasn’t just a partition dividing zones, nor was it even ordinary reinforced concrete.

It had thick steel bars embedded in it. It would take more magic to cut through all of that.

Normally, it might have been possible—

“….”

No one blamed Blasom.

They weren’t a team that got along well usually, but all the members were friendly with Blasom.

That’s why Blasom felt even more guilty.

Thwack!

The reason Blasom’s attacks were weak wasn’t just because the circuit wasn’t fully operational.

She couldn’t hit as hard as usual.

Because every time she struck, she remembered Jieun’s face.

It wasn’t like she hadn’t seen behind the helmet. She had always made sure to treat her injuries properly when capturing her, thinking everything was fine.

But Jieun—

Couldn’t be found out.

She shouldn’t have been caught working for the orphanage while trying to escape. To alleviate Hayoon’s guilt even a little, she must have run away several times, dragging her injured body.

“Euk!”

Hayoon grabbed a combatant’s arm, twisted it backward, and infused magic into the circuit.

It wasn’t possible to completely destroy it due to the different energies being used. But at least physically severing the connection between the suit and the circuit was possible.

If only she had done this from the beginning.

If she hadn’t just seen the opponent as an enemy.

There wouldn’t have been a need for Hayoon to beat Jieun to death like that.

Moreover, Jieun had no choice. Public records showed she had been a combatant for three years. Hayoon had only been a magical girl for two years, so it was likely Jieun was more flustered during the fight.

So, she pushed with all her might.

She neutralized the pouring combatants one by one. Cutting off guns, destroying equipment as much as possible. Some managed to grab and resist despite being knocked down, but without the power of the circuit, they were just ordinary people. No matter how trained their bodies were, they couldn’t resist the power of a magical girl.

Navigating the maze-like path, she finally broke down the door.

“Where is this…?”

A vast space appeared, bewilderingly wide.

The first thing that caught her eye was something sharp like the end of a

And from the place overlooking the vast space, there was a gun pointing down.

Hayoon instinctively judged who the gun was aimed at.

“Blosum!”

Why did they move forward?

Just because someone shoots at Ji-eun with a gun doesn’t mean Ji-eun will die or get hurt.

…Ah, I see.

I see.

They won’t die. They won’t get hurt either. Even if they could get hurt, it’s not to the extent of risking their life.

However.

It will hurt. A lot.

The reason she was so sure that Ji-eun was down there was simply because Ji-eun had appeared here and then disappeared by creating a black hole.

Something must be happening inside. That’s why the fighters on the rooftop suddenly turned their bodies and went inside.

This place is very important, and Ji-eun must have come here to stop them.

The device that can track magical girls. The goal was to bring back the most important part of that device in reverse.

But at the same time, Hayoon was acting on instinct.

She saw Ji-eun being hit by numerous lead bullets. At first, Ji-eun, who was holding on, staggered and screamed as she was hit by live rounds.

Hayoon grabbed the gunner’s shoulder.

Although the face of the person turning towards Ji-eun was hidden behind a helmet, their actions showed confusion.

The gun barrels of the people around turned towards this side.

But no one dared to shoot recklessly. Even if a magical girl might, it couldn’t be certain whether the fighters could completely block the bullets.

Even so, they couldn’t give up the means to protect themselves.

The fighter clenched the gun with both hands.

“Come here…!”

Hayoon pulled the gun away.

It’s incomprehensible why they are doing this. Taking away one person’s gun doesn’t solve everything.

Perhaps they wanted to prove something.

Hitting Ji-eun like that was just because they didn’t know it was Ji-eun.

Even now, they have no intention of attacking Ji-eun.

Even in this situation.

While calling Blosum, the magical girls rushed out.

The surroundings turned into chaos in an instant.

There were fighters near Blosum, so they couldn’t aim guns this way, but they could shoot at the magical girls rushing from behind.

Gunshots that felt like they were tearing ears apart.

The gazes of the fighters further away turned towards this direction.

Blosum eventually succeeded in taking the gun.

But the opposing fighter was also exerting force.

It was an accident.

If it had been a usual safe situation, the fighter wouldn’t have fallen over the railing.

But a fierce battle was taking place around. Once the gunshots started, bullets flew in all directions. It seemed like the walls were made to shatter upon impact, but that didn’t mean there was no smoke. Shrapnel flew too.

Some were engaged in physical combat with multiple magical girls.

And the fighter who was powering the circuit couldn’t control their own strength.

Was that why? As soon as the fighter’s back touched the railing, they tumbled over.

Hayoon wasn’t just standing still.

She immediately threw the gun aside and rushed towards the fighter.

She somehow managed to grab the fighter and dangled in mid-air.

“…Ah.”

She made eye contact with Ji-eun, who was looking this way.

Ji-eun, holding a complex mechanical device in her hand, stared blankly at Hayoon.

Her eyes were wide open, unlike usual.