Ch.189IF Side Story: Galactic Love (14)

The Despair Circuit is like that.

If I somehow hold onto hope, my energy drains away. But the more I despair, the stronger I become.

It might be good in the moment of battle.

The more danger I’m in, the better it could be—which makes sense. I grow stronger “the more I despair.”

Conversely, if I win.

If I start thinking I can move to a better situation by winning, that’s when my power drains away—this thing was designed to make it impossible to ever defeat an opponent.

Thinking about it now, I think I understand why something like this was created.

…It can produce overwhelming power. The more the opponent oppresses me, the stronger I become.

But I can never win a fight. The moment I start feeling hope, the circuit’s power gradually decreases—

That’s why I thought:

“You really… don’t understand what I feel when I fight, do you?”

The hammer is vibrating.

An enormous energy that feels like it could explode at any moment. Words that make me want to smash anything that stands in my way.

That’s what this guy is saying.

So, I actually think the current chairman is worse than the previous one. Maybe he doesn’t properly understand the device the previous chairman created.

[Ha… hahahahaha!]

Despite being hit like that, such laughter flowed from the Kaijin’s speaker.

Perhaps it makes sense.

It’s not like he’s the one taking the hits. He’s always hiding behind others, enjoying watching others fight for him.

…Ah, seriously, I hate all of this.

Whether it’s the Federation putting Magical Girls on the front lines or the Corporation deploying Combatants. In the end, they’re just fighting for their own interests—

BANG!

After bringing down the hammer one last time, I looked up at the sky.

There were still many Kaijin. Magical Girls were fighting with all their might everywhere.

But the fight is clearly for us—

[Everyone!]

However, betraying my thoughts, such a voice came through the speakers we were wearing.

[It’s not just here! Right now, somewhere far from here—]

Somewhere far from here?

But before Cherry could finish shouting, I heard a voice from the Kaijin beneath my feet.

[So, as I said. Make your choice.]

It was the chairman’s voice.

[I don’t know how you came to care for them so much, but anyway—that friend of yours, or all the humans in this world.]

“…What?”

I muttered quietly.

What does that— mean?

[A spaceship! An enormous one! Right now, on the news—]

“…”

[I wasn’t unprepared, you know. If you want to sell something, you need facilities, right?]

I looked up at everyone.

They all seemed confused, even as they fought.

I flew up with all my might and swung my hammer. As I knocked down Kaijin, I thought:

I can do this.

Somehow, I can do this.

Didn’t they say it was on the news? If we fight while moving back and forth through black holes, maybe we can somehow resolve this situation—

Considering the number of Kaijin, perhaps—

“Jieun.”

Hayun quickly flew over to me and said:

“We’ll go.”

“What?”

“If it’s such a large ship, it must be very important to the chairman.”

“…”

“There might be production facilities there. …And inside, you know?”

There might be facilities producing Earth-human Kaijin.

We still don’t know if they’re still producing them or if they’re kidnapping people to make them. But either way, there must be “facilities.”

Especially if they’re planning to sell humans as energy sources.

Crack.

I heard that sound from the hammer handle I was gripping.

“…For now, hide your friend. Let’s have Ju-a and Dalia protect the children. You can hide them and come back to guard them.”

“…Okay.”

If there’s one thing working in my favor in this situation…

It’s that I’m backed into a corner right now.

…The chairman messed with the wrong person.

When I meet him, I’ll definitely smash his head with my hammer, I thought.

*

“…Jieun…!”

When I brought Pang Pang back to the abandoned house, she grabbed me in panic.

“It’s okay. They probably won’t find you here. I have the generator, and I’ll try to stop that ship somehow—”

“No, Jieun, that’s not it…!”

It was an urgent situation.

Actually, I did have some questions.

Why Pang Pang?

To threaten me, targeting someone else could be effective. Wouldn’t it have been better to target Jihye again, since that had already proven effective? They would know that would be better for shaking me up.

Of course, I could make some guesses. They might have seen photos of us from afar and confirmed Pang Pang’s existence.

And since they came to the house, they would know that Pang Pang and I were somewhat close, and they could reasonably suspect that Pang Pang had hidden me—

“…It’s because of me.”

But Pang Pang’s words made me freeze in confusion.

“Because of you?”

“I am…”

Pang Pang spoke carefully in a small voice, as if it was difficult to say.

“…someone related to Noir Corporation.”

“…More than a Combatant?”

“More than a Combatant.”

I stared at Pang Pang.

“Are you from Noir Corporation?”

Pang Pang put her hands to her chest and pressed her lips together. After hesitating for a moment, she finally opened her mouth.

“…No, that’s, that’s not exactly it—”

“Not exactly?”

Without realizing it, I found myself pressing Pang Pang.

I knew in my head that I shouldn’t.

Even if Pang Pang had been associated with the company, that was that.

She had genuinely helped me.

It couldn’t have been on the company’s orders. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have gone through so much trouble to save me—

“I am…”

Pang Pang hesitated, but finally seemed to make up her mind as she raised her head and looked straight at me.

Her eyes were filled with guilt.

Ah,

I’ve seen this face before.

Not long ago, when Pang Pang came to find me and tried to say something but couldn’t.

That’s the expression she had then.

“The missing chairman of Noir Corporation.”

“…”

“I’m his granddaughter.”

“…”

My mouth fell open blankly.

My thoughts came to a complete halt.

What should I say to Pang Pang?

‘Really?’

‘I see.’

‘I don’t care.’

…Should I have said something like that?

Maybe I should have.

Pang Pang had helped me so much, after all. There must be some circumstances behind why the chairman’s granddaughter would do such difficult things.

But at the same time, I could recall once more that someone had come looking for Pang Pang’s house.

I see.

Perhaps they weren’t actually looking for me.

Maybe they were just looking for Pang Pang, and I happened to be in the house with her.

…

“You’ve been hiding this all along?”

“…”

At my question, Pang Pang opened her mouth, then closed it.

Various thoughts flowed through my mind again.

If Pang Pang had revealed her identity while hiding me, would I have found it this difficult to accept? I’m not sure.

If Pang Pang had proudly revealed she was the chairman’s granddaughter and just gone to the company, would I have struggled this much? I’m not sure about that either.

At least she’s not the current chairman’s granddaughter.

She might have been a victim of family infighting. Like the former chairman.

Pang Pang might have had a very bad relationship with the former chairman—

But then, why would the current chairman come looking for Pang Pang like that—

“…”

I tried to say something. I opened my mouth, but no voice came out.

I heard a buzzing sound around me.

“Jieun.”

Sensing that my demeanor and the atmosphere had changed, Pang Pang called my name and took a step toward me.

I took a step back. Why?

Maybe she was trying to prevent me from reaching the black hole again. I needed to return to the orphanage. I had to send Hayun, Rose, and Delphinium to the ship.

But the words that came out of my mouth were slightly different from those thoughts.

“Did you know everything?”

No, I know best that she couldn’t have known. Pang Pang was just a child living freely.

Anyone could see she was far removed from the leadership of Noir Corporation.

So asking like that was just pointless accusation. I knew that.

The buzzing sound near my ears grew louder.

“Were you— like that? Did you know everything and just stay by my side like that?”

Pang Pang had no obligation to help me like she did.

She was probably resisting in her own way.

Just like I was running away and rejecting all help. She was just running away too.

My vision became a bit blurry.

“…Jieun, I’m sorry.”

Pang Pang was crying too. She reached out to me with a pained expression, but I stepped back a little more.

“…No.”

That’s what I said.

With difficulty, I managed to hold back what would have come next.

I knew that this was an urgent situation, and if we got into an emotional fight here, it would truly get out of control.

“…Not now, later.”

Barely suppressing my emotions, I said that.

Pang Pang’s outstretched hand slowly withdrew.

She clasped her hands in front of her chest, nodding while crying.

As if that was somehow fortunate.

I ran away from that place.

Just as I always had.