Ch.13Chapter 3. Possibility? (1)

# Thinking Back

Looking back, I think that might have been a trap.

Logically speaking, wouldn’t it have been more advantageous to release articles one per day rather than in real-time?

If you upload photos in real-time like that, it’s only natural for the other party to notice.

“…No, that’s not it.”

They probably wouldn’t go to such lengths just for one combatant.

I did earn some merit and got better equipment, but that was it. I wasn’t an executive or even a team leader.

“What do you mean, ‘that’s not it’?”

Perhaps because I had been muttering while listening to music, Jihye tilted her head curiously.

The music playing was by the Beatles. The reason I simply call it “Beatles music” is because I honestly don’t know the titles. I just put in the CD Hayun bought me and pressed play.

Looking at my desk now, I realized I had more CDs bought by Hayun than ones I purchased myself.

That’s only natural, I suppose. Most people don’t buy every CD they browse at major bookstores or music shops.

My consumption pattern was to buy just one or two CDs and listen to them repeatedly.

I had far more items I’d “looked at and put back” than ones I actually purchased.

…Yet what I was doing now was betraying Hayun, so my anxiety was understandable.

“It’s nothing.”

When I brushed it off, Jihye stared at me intently.

“Why?”

“You definitely look worried about something.”

“…”

I wondered if she knew that because of my actions, her own future might be at stake too.

If I help Hayun, my longtime friend, then Jihye, also a longtime friend, would suffer.

From Jihye’s perspective, it must seem terribly unfair. She hadn’t even appeared in the webtoon.

Meanwhile, Hayun was the protagonist. She gets pushed around and attacked a lot.

I’m not saying she deserves it. It’s just… that’s how it is.

“Are you worried about what happened before?”

“No, it’s not that.”

I am worried.

Though not for the reasons Jihye thinks.

It was a worry I couldn’t share with others.

“There’s no need to worry too much, right? After all, they said he was an ex-criminal. The company claimed they didn’t know.”

That’s what the news reported.

The official company position was that they had hired him as a journalist for their subsidiary media company, but it turned out he was an ex-criminal who wrote voyeuristic articles… They apologized to the public.

And we were just civilians who got caught up in it.

So there shouldn’t be any problems… in theory.

“…I guess so?”

Knowing that not answering would only make Jihye worry more, I smiled slightly and responded.

“Yeah, I guess.”

Jihye sat up and shrugged her shoulders.

“Are you worried it might affect your job prospects later? If so, why not talk to Hayun about it? I heard the Galactic Federation is preparing to recruit Earth-born employees.”

Then she added with a grin:

“Who knows, maybe they’ll even make you a magical girl.”

“…That doesn’t make any sense.”

I laughed incredulously.

# A Few Days Later

“…That’s some impressive equipment.”

The Class Leader, whose home planet I still couldn’t identify, spoke to me.

There was no hint of envy in his voice. If anything, it sounded more like mockery.

I didn’t bother to respond. I was already feeling extremely troubled.

I looked down to check my outfit. Everything from helmet to boots was new equipment, all pristine.

The basic design was still a skintight suit, so the lower part felt like wearing a tight mini-skirt with leather leggings.

With boots that came up to my shins, it honestly looked like something designed by a fetishist with peculiar tastes.

…In reality, it was probably borrowed from tokusatsu villains, and the webtoon just adopted that design, so it couldn’t be helped.

Anyway, while the lower part looked almost identical to before, the upper part was different.

I wore a black leather jacket over the original skintight suit. I wasn’t sure what purpose this served. I’d been told it “conducts energy better,” so I assumed it had that function.

Noir Corporation must want their combatants to look a bit cooler.

The most important part, the circuit on my wrist, looked more robust and had grown thicker with a battery compartment at the bottom.

The helmet hadn’t changed much.

Once fully dressed, I had a biker gang vibe. Though I doubted they’d give an expensive motorcycle to a low-level combatant like me.

I don’t even have a license.

I heard a whistle behind me.

Turning around, I saw the Earthaboo with her arms crossed, watching me. She hadn’t put on her helmet yet, so I could clearly see her sparkling eyes, which were somewhat uncomfortable to look at.

“Are you secretly considered a valuable asset by the company?”

“…”

Well.

They seem to see me as someone useful to exploit.

Beep.

The helmet finished booting up, and a percentage appeared in one corner.

60 percent.

Didn’t they say the capacity had increased?

If it starts at this level despite increased capacity, my mind must truly be troubled.

Looking at my wrist, I could already see the circuit spinning rapidly.

“Alright, prepare for the call!”

Seeing that everyone was more or less ready, the Class Leader shouted.

“Hey!”

I responded with a somewhat unenthusiastic voice.

# Infiltration

As always, we weren’t given precise information about what was happening at the infiltration site.

However, I could tell that where we landed had a completely different atmosphere from usual.

The places we normally went were suitable for “hired muscle.”

Old residential areas. Places where people gathered to protest. Areas scattered with makeshift houses built from boards.

But this place was different.

There was a sleek building, with similar structures under construction around it. Since it was evening, all the workers seemed to have gone home.

“Everyone, attention!”

The executive shouted.

This executive wasn’t James.

Unlike James, whose combat suit resembled a suit, this executive wore something closer to a “work uniform.”

A one-piece jumpsuit.

But not just any work clothes—it had sturdy metal plates attached to the shoulders and a vest with various buttons covering the upper part. His face was covered with a gas mask-like covering, and he wore a sturdy helmet on his head.

A strange appearance, like a work jumpsuit decorated haphazardly to look like a “boss.”

He looked like someone from a post-apocalyptic genre.

I recognized this executive from the webtoon.

“…I see.”

I muttered to myself.

Judging by the surroundings and the executive, this operation was one I was familiar with.

It would probably become clearer once we went inside.

“I assume you’ve all heard about the evil deeds the Galactic Federation is committing on this land!”

The executive’s voice echoed slightly from behind the gas mask, but it was loud enough for all of us to hear clearly, as if there was an amplifier attached to it.

“This is a secret base of the Galactic Federation! Various illegal experiments are being conducted underground! Today, we fight on behalf of this country’s sovereignty!”

“…”

No one cheered at those words.

For the aliens, this was just a job they were paid to do, and the Earth people weren’t much different.

While the Galactic Federation’s illegal activities were more severe, Noir Corporation had the worse image. That was true even among the workers.

“This is a surprise attack, but they’ll surely follow us soon using warp point technology. We need to destroy the experimental equipment underground before then! Let’s go!”

The executive shouted and started running.

“What are you all doing? Follow him!”

Such shouts could be heard from various directions.

It seemed more than one team was being deployed today.

Glancing at the combatants rushing forward, I noticed two or three more wearing outfits similar to mine.

So this operation was quite important from the company’s perspective.

“…”

If that’s the case, I should try to earn as much merit as possible here. At least that way, my image won’t deteriorate further.

With that determination, I sprinted forward with all my might.

# The Plan

My calculation was simple.

Combatants can’t defeat magical girls anyway. Neither can executives. Magical girls are the protagonists, after all.

Plus, this operation was an episode I was familiar with.

In the story, some laboratory equipment gets damaged, causing a significant blow. In that episode, the company had put considerable effort into using anti-warp point equipment, which delayed the magical girls’ deployment.

It was the very beginning, the episode where the story really starts.

So all I needed to do was to run around destroying as many things as possible.

“We’re going this way!”

At a fork in the path, the Class Leader chose the middle route.

I didn’t know anything about the internal structure either. Webtoons rarely show detailed maps, and even if they did, I wouldn’t have the memory to recall them all.

Since I wasn’t leading, I just needed to follow along and do what I was told.

Following the path, we arrived at a large entrance.

A thick door that opened sideways, somewhat typical of the SF genre. At least the door design matched what I remembered. However, there were no guidance signs anywhere, so I couldn’t tell if I was heading to the most important point as in the webtoon.

“Hey, Earthling!”

The Class Leader snapped at me.

“Since your equipment is good, you handle this!”

Without objecting, I stepped forward.

70 percent.

The circuit was running quite stably.

When I extended my left arm downward, a blade protruded from my wrist.

A pure energy blade with no physical form, black in color.

Seeing that it was longer than what I used before, I realized the equipment was indeed better.

Screech!

When I stabbed the blade into the door, sparks flew as if I were welding.

I inserted it into the seam where the doors met and pulled downward.

Clunk!

From inside, I heard something thick breaking.

I put both hands into the door seam and pulled sideways.

As energy transferred through my suit, the thick door began to open gradually.

I heard some sounds of admiration from behind.

To be honest, I was a bit impressed too. The output was much better than my previous outfit.

I could understand why the Class Leader had been sarcastic. From his perspective, I might have seemed like someone threatening his job—

Beep beep beep…

Ah.

Just as I started feeling good, the percentage dropped by a few points.

But the strength itself didn’t decrease. There was a charged battery inside that continuously supplemented the energy.

In the end, I was able to open the door completely.

“Tsk.”

I heard the Class Leader clicking his tongue.

“Hey, what are you doing? Everyone get in!”

At that command, the combatants rushed inside.

The Class Leader stared at me for a few seconds before going in. Though his visor obscured his face, he was probably glaring at me.

Beep!

The percentage rose again to 70 percent.

…Should I be grateful for this?

With a deep sigh, I ran inside.

And—

“Ugh!?”

With a thud, I saw a combatant flying through the air and hitting the wall beside me.

Inside was—

“A combat robot!?”

…Well, that makes sense.

The Galactic Federation uses robots too. According to the background setting, there were many wars and conflicts before the “Federation” was formed.

Though called a combat robot, it didn’t look human. It resembled an industrial robot with just one arm.

A robot more likely to be seen in a car factory than here.

It had a red glove attached to the end, giving it a somewhat comical appearance.

Just as I’d seen in the original work.

Ignoring how others were acting around me, I charged straight ahead.

The blade was still attached to my left arm.

Keeng—

The security system, seeing me, made a somewhat menacing sound as it turned its head toward me.

Seeing its arm pull back, I threw a punch.

Crack!

The red glove burst upon meeting my blade, and the steel part behind it was deeply scarred. My hand was unharmed. Since the blade had no physical form, it didn’t bend my arm backward in reaction to receiving energy.

“Whoa!”

One of the combatants shouted.

Probably the Earthaboo.

Bang!

I sliced along the arm, cutting the robot’s arm clean across.

Then I quickly cut the catapult part it used for movement, turning the robot into a pile of scrap metal that could only twitch its joints.

“Let’s go!”

I shouted.

“Yeah!”

The combatants behind me shouted together.

Had they seen some hope?

…Though that might actually decrease their combat effectiveness.

The Class Leader was watching me.

He was probably glaring at me again.

That made it harder to endure. How unfair that I had to put up with his irritation.

60 percent.

Not low enough to need the battery yet. I’d need it if I had to open another door like before, but what lay before us now weren’t more closed doors but various computers.

One room inside had a window, through which server computers were visible.

[You’re doing well! Your team will get a bonus!]

Such a message rang through the helmet’s communication system.

A better boss than James.

Though it might just be empty words.

I ran forward with all my might and jumped.

Crash!

I broke through the server room window.

Hiss!

The security system inside the server computer shot a laser at my helmet, but I blocked it with my blade before it became dangerous.

Then I jumped up and cut off the camera-like part. The laser wasn’t fired again.

After that, my job was to destroy the computers.

I wasn’t sure if they were “actually” servers. Well, the company hadn’t given detailed information anyway, so I was just doing what I could.

After cutting the distribution panel connected to the floor, I went back outside through the broken window.

It was chaos.

They might as well have been holding hammers; they truly looked like hired thugs.

Smashing computers, flipping desks.

…The executive was nowhere to be seen.

Had he gone with another team?

Just as I started moving to go elsewhere—

[Kack!]

That sound came through the communication system again.

[Ma-magical girl, it’s a magical girl…! Everyone to the laboratory—]

Click.

As the communication cut off, the combatants froze.

They all stood in stunned postures, as if horrified. Even with their faces hidden by helmets, their emotions were clearly visible.

“What are you doing? Everyone to the laboratory!”

The Class Leader started running, as if determined to do something before I took all the credit.

A bit later, the combatants followed.

They all seemed extremely reluctant, moving somewhat awkwardly and running slower than the Class Leader.

“…”

70 percent.

The percentage had risen as soon as I heard the term “magical girl.”

I won’t lack combat power, I thought.

# Confrontation

Bang!

The Class Leader, who had run ahead first, was the first to fall.

Now I understood why Iris specifically used “warp point” technology.

The path formed a T-junction, and the person in front disappeared without a trace after being hit by a thick laser beam that shot out from the side.

Even knowing that it didn’t actually incinerate him but just sent him flying to a distant place, it was a chilling sight.

“Eek…!”

One of the combatants muttered and fell backward.

There was someone I hadn’t seen before today; it was probably them.

Thud, thud.

The sound of someone walking approached.

The imposing sound Iris made with each step as she walked through the air.

Beep beep beep beep beep!

85 percent.

Even with new equipment, I didn’t think I could win.

“…You’ve made quite a spectacular mess.”

Iris’s voice was heard.

Several more frightened sounds followed.

I could even hear running footsteps. I wasn’t sure what they hoped to achieve by fleeing deeper inside, but I suppose panic makes people irrational.

…Had the executive been retired?

She probably didn’t warp him away. In this episode, he gets captured.

Iris destroyed the anti-warp point equipment.

In the webtoon, Iris was the first to arrive at the “most important place,” as she was researching warp point technology.

The other magical girls would just now be running from the entrance.

“Hmm.”

My eyes met Iris’s as she came around the corner.

…Huh?

Meeting my gaze, Iris slightly raised one corner of her lip and said:

“We meet again here, little one.”

…What?

“That scratch on your helmet.”

Unconsciously, I raised my hand to touch my helmet.

There were some scratches, but nothing particularly distinctive? There weren’t any large enough damages to feel through my gloves.

Yet… she recognized me? Do laser burns and scratches from rocks look similar?

“You must be the one who escaped last time.”

But regardless of my confusion, Iris twisted her lips upward and glared at me.

“That humiliation from back then. You haven’t forgotten it, have you?”

Wait a moment—

The gun barrel turned toward me.

Beep beep beep beep beep!

90 percent.

Bang!

Fwoosh…

Things around us exploded. I felt a bright light, and several nearby combatants disappeared without even having time to scream.

But I—

“Oh?”

Iris opened her eyes wide and muttered.

Beep beep beep beep…

85 percent.

I blankly looked at my hand.

On the arm I had swung without realizing, the black blade was still protruding.

…Could it be? Did I cut through the warp laser?

The dazed atmosphere continued for a few seconds.

I was the first to regain my senses.

This time, I was the one charging toward Iris.

—70 percent. Considering the enlarged circuit, I could still fight.

The battery had completely recharged just now.