Ch.166166. Entry

“This way.”

“Somehow you seem to know better than I do…”

Blanc moves forward without hesitation, and we follow behind.

A former villain from Eden, yet knows less about Eden’s internal affairs than a magical girl.

“I’m the third intruder from their perspective. Of course I’ve studied how these guys arrange their rooms. No, I’ve already completed that research. Ragnarok, Avalon… anyway. It’s only natural.”

“When you put it that way, it feels strange again…”

“That’s understandable. It’s not your first time taking our side, is it?”

“It’s not my first time, you know?”

Ellie contradicts Blanc from behind.

“Well… you did move with us in Avalon. That was to save Vine, right?”

“…Yeah. Ah, anyway! It’s not my first time!”

“It is Vine’s first time though.”

“Not mine!”

“I was talking to Vine.”

“Ugh… seriously.”

Ellie kicks the wall in frustration.

Well…

If the material here is the same as Eden’s walls, that must really hurt.

It must be incredibly solid, yet she kicks it so recklessly…

“Oww?!”

“Be careful. If you go around kicking things like that and break your foot, we can’t do anything about it. It would also drain our fighting power.”

“What? A magical girl can’t even handle healing magic?”

“No magical energy to spare for that.”

“Ugh… master works her contracted monster to the bone… sad slave monster…”

“Since there’s no one here to listen to that kind of talk, why don’t you stop?”

“Uuu- totally like some kind of guild!”

“Huh? Guild?”

“I want a different master who doesn’t do bad things! Change masters! If possible, I want Vine as my master…!”

“What…? Ellie…?”

After suddenly going on about masters, Ellie calls my name.

“Yes, Vine would be better than Master Blanc! Totally uuu! Whatever whatever! Treat your monsters more preciously! Even if I’m property, cherish me a little!”

“What are you talking about… when did I ever make you do anything strange?”

“Tch…”

Well, still.

It seems like Ellie has lightened the tense atmosphere a bit.

While some tension is necessary, being too tense isn’t good.

I had forgotten that.

In any case…

This time… well.

With a somewhat relaxed atmosphere, we proceed deeper inside.

“By the way, Blanc… isn’t something strange…?”

“What?”

“Even though we’re moving so noisily, there isn’t a single defensive force… Shouldn’t at least Hela or Voltorn… or a commander-level like Loki be blocking our way…?”

“You’re right… it is strange, I don’t sense any presence at all… I’m a bit worried about the other side.”

“…Didn’t they deploy all their forces, or rather, manpower, to that side, excluding us? At least, I think that side should be secure.”

“…Well, I suppose. If it’s Eden’s commander level… they should be able to handle it somehow. Honestly, if it weren’t for Vine… they’d have enough power to win somehow.”

“…I’m not that significant.”

“Yes, you are. Not a mid-boss level, but a final boss level.”

“…I’m not that significant.”

“You are. Ah, a door. It’s a dead end.”

“Sigh… is that why there was no one here?”

A closed door.

And…

The sound of combat boots coming from somewhere.

“There are many.”

“A hundred?”

“About that many… Enhanced combat units, combat monsters perhaps?”

“Combat monsters. Like last time?”

“Yes… well, since they’ve been turned into monsters. They’re probably beings that can be ‘produced’ at will.”

“…So, at least a hundred?”

“Could be. They might be planning to corner us in this dead end and wipe us out all at once.”

“Us?”

“…Well, I suppose so. Get ready.”

The footsteps grow louder.

And the footsteps, becoming more numerous and faster, reveal themselves.

“…An ant swarm?”

I could see with my own eyes how well Hyewon’s metaphor fit.

Truly, like a swarm of ants.

“Wow… are all those monsters?”

“I’ll take care of this, Blanc.”

“You, stay back. I’ll end this in an instant.”

I stepped forward.

But she stood in front of me and, around herself,

Just like I would do with my tail, she formed a curtain of light bullets.

Then, she literally returned the ant swarm, the mass of combat units, back to pure magical energy.

Truly, in the blink of an eye, without leaving a single trace.

“B-Blanc…?”

“What, they’re weak. I adjusted a bit since they were supposed to be enhanced. But they were completely penetrated right away.”

“…Did you consider your magical energy consumption?”

“This much will recover quickly. Hmm… Arin might have struggled a bit.”

Seeing her nonchalant attitude, Ellie:

“W-w-what is this…? Such firepower…just like that…?”

“…Well, I could have done this too, if I had my tail… no, even without my tail, I could have done it.”

“Your magical energy always needs to be preserved. I saved the magical energy that doesn’t recover over the one that does.”

“Well, if that’s the case. I’ll understand.”

“Right, what about the door?”

“Why are you worrying, don’t we have a magical girl with tools right here?”

I pointed at Hyewon, or more precisely, at the ridiculously large axe she was holding.

“Me…?”

“Yes, hurry up and break through the door.”

Suddenly being singled out, she glanced at where the swarm of combat units had just been, then:

“Is it okay…?”

“It’s fine. So hurry up and open the door.”

“…I’m not a key.”

“Hurry.”

“…I’ve become a magical girl who takes orders from Vine.”

Though she complained a bit.

Still, thinking that was indeed her role, she infused her fearsome yellow magical energy into the axe and struck the door with all her might.

In the process, small fragments of the door flew toward Ellie, startling her.

But we’ve opened the door and cleared a path, so that’s what matters.

“Let’s go.”

“Yes. Do you know the way?”

“It’s not a feeling, it’s analysis, so this should be right.”

“Well… if we consider feelings, it’s like big data that your brain has accumulated over a long time.”

“Well… since subjectivity is involved, it could be inaccurate.”

“That’s what we call intuition.”

“Is there such a thing here? It seems like there won’t be any more forks in the road.”

“True. It does look that way.”

We continue forward, making idle conversation.

We keep going down the monotonous corridor.

Surprisingly, after that, not a single combat unit or even an insect appears.

We face another closed door.

Looking at each other, everyone seems to have the same thought.

“This is, well… that big data thing I mentioned earlier… intuition, right. My intuition says the boss room is beyond this.”

“…I feel the same. Actually, the magical energy is so strong here…? Even stronger than the enhanced combat unit group from earlier.”

“Looks like they concentrated everything here. Did they think every resource used elsewhere would be a waste?”

“…Well, it’s the boss. Shouldn’t we go in? Are you all prepared?”

“I’ve been prepared since before we came in. Hyewon, what about you?”

“I’m dead without that stuff.”

“Indeed.”

When we opened the door, a massive wave of magical energy washed over us.

* * *

My body hurts as if it’s about to break.

Truly, it feels like my body was shattered and put back together.

Why…?

Where am I?

Why is it so… cold?

“Kyaaah?! P-pervert! What are you doing, student! Put some clothes on right now!”

That person is… a person? Person…? What is…?

Wearing colorful, vibrant clothes… why are they pointing and yelling at me?

It feels bad.

“Student! Kid! Why are you climbing up here naked! Huh?”

What is that stick… why are they threatening me by waving it around…?

I don’t understand.

After being angry for a while, they make a call somewhere…

Call?

Phone…?

Smartphone… maybe?

It’s too hard to remember anything.

Remember…?

Me, what am I…?

What am I…?

What?

What is it, what?

What am I?

What am I?

Me?

It’s too confusing.

I’m dizzy, my head hurts.

That person.

I need to run away.

My head tells me to run.

It says I shouldn’t stay here like this.

I pushed past the person in front of me and went deeper, further inside.

It’s cold.

It’s not cold.

It’s not cold, I won’t die.

But, it’s cold.

Can I endure it?

I can endure it.

Something warm?

Earlier, person?

Wore.

Something?

I search for something to cover my body.

Some kind of white, shiny vinyl, vinyl…?

What is vinyl…?

Anyway, wrapping this around me makes me warm.

…!

People sounds.

Many people sounds.

Coming closer.

“Where is it, the reported location?”

“It’s not far from here… but if we go further in, it’s not a walking path.”

“Sigh… what kind of lunatic abandoned a disabled person again.”

“If they can’t speak and have mental issues… they should at least seek help somewhere else. It was a child, right?”

“Yeah… how could a child be abandoned alone in these mountains… oh my… tsk tsk. The country is in such disarray these days.”

“Monsters have been appearing for years now. They say they’re creating something called an Association? But so many people have been sacrificed.”

“Sigh… at least there are people who died two connections away.”

“That’s right. Even our team, Officer Kang’s team member…”

The sound is getting louder.

They’re approaching.

I need to run away.

I need to run away?

Yes, I need to run away.

It’s getting dark.

The surroundings are getting dark.

Cold is settling in.

People’s voices are getting closer again.

Flash-!

Light hits my eyes.

“Found them!”

“Where?”

“Here, missing person found! Matches the report! Unusual eyes…?”

“They said the iris color is deep purple like amethyst! Shine a light and check!”

“Found them! Confirmed…! Ah! They’re running away!”

“Chase them! What are you doing!”

“The mountain terrain is treacherous…! If we make a mistake here, we could get hurt too!”

“Would you rather die from complaints or get a little hurt and be done with it! Run now!”

They’re coming, they’re coming.

Coming…?

Run, I need to run…!

I go deeper.

Even though branches scratch my body all over, I move nimbly between trees and escape.

And then, hiding under fallen leaves.

Thump, thump.

Thump, thump.

“We lost them…!”

“What?!”

“Sh-shouldn’t we request a search team…?”

“N-no…! My performance record… and I’m up for promotion soon…”

“Team leader!”

“Ugh… we’ll retreat for now!”

“Team leader!! Let’s request a search team! Not retreat…!”

“We lost them! Damn it, if we move any further, we’ll all die! Do we need another dead body in the mountains?”

“No, that’s why we need a search team…!”

“That’s not happening! No… first, let’s go down and regroup. We’ll do what we can on our own. From the bottom… ugh. Really… ugh, this goddamn…”

The people’s voices fade away.

Good, good…

I feel tired somehow.

Sleep is coming.

Sleep…

Sunlight hits my eyes.

Forces me to wake up.

My body… my body feels a bit stiff.

I need to move from here.

Going downward.

Going down little by little, and further down.

A different landscape from the mountains.

Houses…?

A city maybe…?

City? City…?

Ahead, another person…?

Tap tap-

“Yes…? Kya, kyaah?!”

I approached carefully, but was met with violence.

Pain.

I was hit…?

It hurts…?

They threw something…?

Ah, it hurts, I need to run away. I need to run away…!

I returned to the mountains again.

This time… those scary people didn’t come up.

How many days have passed…?

Night, day, night, day.

I went down, got hit.

Things thrown at me wildly.

Different person, different person.

No matter who I approach.

When I approach people, it hurts.

It hurts.

I’m hungry.

What did I used to eat…?

Cold.

Why… cold.

Cold.

Too long…

Long…

My strength is fading.

My strength is fading.

Thud—

Before my collapsed eyes.

Light.

Light…

Light…?

It’s warm, it’s warm.

Good, it’s cozy…

“Doctor, is this what we need to retrieve?”

“Yes. All manipulations are complete. A tool for use in this world.”

“Phew… then, let’s pick it up.”

“Yes.”

“But is there any reason to insert such a ragged consciousness? Watching from afar, it seemed dull. Wouldn’t any young mind be sufficient?”

“Boss. It’s all a device to form attachment to the boss. Souls are truly difficult to handle.”

“This has too high a failure rate. Sigh…”

“From next time, I’ll show improved results. For now, let’s retrieve the material.”

Cozy… warm…

Good.

People, painful.

Person who doesn’t hurt…

Saved… me?

Saved me.