Ch.323IF Side Story: From the Beginning (91)

I actually hadn’t imagined that the passage would be completely frozen solid.

I thought it would be enough if the walls froze and adequately blocked the Kaijin stored on the other side.

But Chaeyeon’s magic was literally more than enough—it overflowed, completely filling the inside with solid ice.

“…This is truly impressive,” Ju-a said, her expression showing disbelief rather than amazement.

After touching the surface of the ice with her hand, Ju-a continued, “There wasn’t that much moisture here to begin with. This is… practically creating something from nothing.”

“…No,” Chaeyeon contradicted Ju-a’s statement.

“I burst the water pipes.”

“No, even if you say that, there’s a limit to how much water you could draw in…”

Well, anyway, it seemed like it had been a difficult method in many ways.

“What about the Kaijin inside? Will they be okay?” I asked, not wanting Chaeyeon to become a villain.

“…There’s air. At least they won’t suffocate. Their circuits will have been running for a while, so they won’t freeze to death either.”

She had thought of everything in the midst of all this.

Since she perfectly implemented what I had casually suggested, there was no point in questioning it further.

I gripped my hammer.

“Alright then.”

“Wait.”

As I was about to strike the ice with my hammer, Hayun called out to me.

“I’ll help too.”

“Ah, sure.”

As I turned toward Hayun while answering, she suddenly came into my arms.

Naturally, the circuit activated—especially the generator circuit on my back.

…Since it was a circuit powered by hope, it was a very explicit signal that I gained hope from Hayun hugging me.

Ah, this is a bit embarrassing.

Above all, it was terrifying how the others stared at me expressionlessly when Hayun and I embraced.

No, I’m not doing this because I want to!

Don’t look at me like I’m satisfying my personal desires by hugging someone else in the middle of a battle!

Hayun’s staff glowed brightly. It must have received power from the generator on my back. Cherry had really done a perfect job.

“I can help too.”

As soon as Hayun stepped away with her staff, Seo-hee abruptly spoke and hugged me tightly.

She put her arms between the generator and my back, squeezing me so hard I thought my bones would break. A sound like “Urgh” escaped my lips, but the generator spun vigorously.

All the magical girls are great. They’re truly close friends—close enough to entrust their lives to each other in battle.

It’s really nice that they feel friendship toward me even in situations like this. After all, hugging is something you can only do with someone you’re really close to, unless it’s for political reasons.

The next one to rush over was Jihye. She pressed her body gently against mine, but for some reason, she squirmed and rubbed against me a little.

Jihye uses a shield, but she can exert physical force by swinging it. While it’s not ideal for taking down a swarm of enemies in one go, breaking something only requires weight and hardness.

“Me too, me too!”

As soon as Jihye pulled away, Yeonwoo rushed over next.

The generator was now radiating heat. The room was as cool as if an air conditioner was running, but somehow it was warm just around me. Naturally, my back was drenched in sweat.

Yeonwoo hugged me gently, exhaling a long breath as she rested her face against my chest.

“Ahh, it’s been so long since I could hug you separately like this.”

And then she said something rather inappropriate. Was she just joking around like usual?

After Yeonwoo pulled away, Ju-a was the only one who hadn’t hugged me yet.

“Um, I… Since my weapon is a gun…”

Ju-a said, rolling her eyes around.

“Even if I receive hope, it probably won’t help that much…”

“…”

When she puts it that way, I can’t just stand still.

I let out a light sigh and hugged Ju-a.

It was a bit awkward to touch her back, though.

Ju-a nestled snugly in my arms.

Whirr, whirr, whirr.

I could feel the generator vibrating. In response, the girls’ staffs each emitted energy.

“…”

Chaeyeon stared at me silently, then summed me up neatly with one word:

“Playboy.”

“I am not!”

I shouted, and to reduce my embarrassment even a little, I leaped into the ice-filled tunnel with my hammer in hand.

*

Bang!

The ice broke more easily than I expected. At least, it was much easier than breaking through the walls or doors of the Noir Corporation building.

Plus, the passage was wide, and there were many magical girls who could help each other inside.

At first, Ju-a was hesitant, saying it would be difficult to break the ice with a gun, but soon she used magic to emit heat, making the ice a little easier to break.

Thanks to that, we were able to reach the end of that long tunnel much faster than expected.

“…You finally made it. I’m honestly impressed.”

A woman at the end said.

She had an impression similar to Pang Pang. Except her face wasn’t blue but red. I wonder if that skin color difference is like the difference in human skin colors? I don’t understand the principle at all.

As if wanting to show that she was the company’s next chairperson, the woman was wearing an elegant suit.

The way she spread her arms wide made it look like she was performing in a play.

“This works out perfectly. This is where that thing you brought is needed.”

Behind the woman was an object very similar to the generator I had brought. Floating in the air as if it were a superconductor, it was a sphere like the generator, but with a large hole in the middle.

“A conditioner,” Ju-a muttered.

“You know it well. Did that escaped executive tell you? Really, he’s so tenacious. But thanks to him, you brought the generator directly, so that’s fortunate.”

“…”

I glared at the woman.

The conditioner was vibrating, receiving power from the generator.

Was I wrong?

Did I make a strange choice again by being too hasty, giving the enemy exactly what they wanted?

“…No.”

I said.

I pulled up one corner of my mouth.

“Actually, it doesn’t matter what Noir Corporation does or doesn’t do. Whatever you do, you’ll never completely succeed anyway.”

“…”

“You know, right? No matter how much you twist things, there are those who genuinely want to protect Earth.”

There might be heroes abroad who could betray Earth, but at least most heroes fight like us, looking toward hope.

What that means is that they’re people who know how to think positively.

Plus, there are beings like Cherry. Someone who, despite not being from Earth, somehow does their best for Earthlings. We’ve already received Cherry’s help many times.

“…Heh.”

The woman let out a laugh. I couldn’t tell whether it was bravado or not.

“Well, keep living in that dream. All of you.”

The woman said.

“But realists like us are different. If there’s an opportunity right in front of us, we definitely take it. If it’s an opportunity to make money, wasting it on mere ideals is a luxury.”

I didn’t know Noir Corporation had such important ideals.

Well, it’s probably something like leading the world, having the best technology, or whatever. They’re probably just after money.

That’s not necessarily bad.

But when it’s Noir Corporation saying such things, I can’t help but have strange thoughts.

…

Well, whether they’re bad or not doesn’t matter.

I just need to rescue Pang Pang. Let’s leave this world to other heroes.

This spaceship was originally headed for where Pang Pang is. That means if I deal with that woman in between, I can safely bring Pang Pang back to Earth.

“I, Pung-pung—”

“Uh, wait. What did you say?”

Lost in thought, I didn’t properly hear what the woman was saying.

Right. I must have misheard. How could someone’s name be like that?

“You said your name? Say it again. I’ll listen.”

“Hehe. Good. I like that attitude. It means you’re determined to remember me clearly.”

No, I just asked again because it was hard to believe.

“I am Noir Corporation’s chairperson, Pung-pung—”

“Pfft.”

I inadvertently made such a sound.

And that “pfft” sound didn’t come just from me. Everyone made laughing sounds, regardless of how long or delayed they were.

Ah, is this racial discrimination?

But still, isn’t it a bit strange? I really don’t understand the naming sense of people living on that planet.

Pang Pang was actually one of the better ones. I wonder if there are names like “Flat-flat” too.

“…”

The woman seemed to realize what we were laughing at and became serious.

“Well, fine.”

The woman said.

“I’ve stalled for enough time. We’ve definitely generated enough energy for the warp.”

“Using hope?”

“Well, we had to put in some effort. But the conditioning device is easier to make than the generator. It’s not like our company doesn’t have other Squeakeans.”

In other words, it’s less efficient.

I understood immediately. Looking at Ju-a, she nodded as well.

“And using that conditioning device, we also made this.”

Click.

A door on the wall behind the woman, near the engine room, opened.

What came out was probably a Kaijin.

But its exterior was covered in white armor.

Judging by its shape, there seemed to be an Earthling inside.

…

Really, what an unlikable person until the very end.