Ch.330IF Side Story: From the Beginning (98)

There’s no need to think about what to do. We have only one option.

I don’t know the full extent of a magical girl’s abilities and limitations. But at least I’m certain our situation has improved compared to moments ago.

So, I flew.

The space stations I know from common knowledge are extremely cramped. Rather than a house, they’re more like several small rooms connected to each other. After all, humanity’s technology hasn’t advanced beyond that point yet.

But this station is so vast it’s hard to believe it’s the same kind of place. The corridors are much wider than those in even large buildings, and naturally, there were no obstacles as we flew through.

Therefore, our destination must be much farther away.

“Don’t worry,” Ju-a said.

A soft purple light surrounded Ju-a’s body. Her outfit had changed slightly too. It looked more similar to what I was wearing. Seeing the slight opening in the middle made me feel a bit awkward.

Ju-a… unlike in the original work, had perfected her warp magic. It was no longer the kind of magic that sent her flying randomly everywhere, but proper magic that could transport her to a specific destination.

But that didn’t mean she could use it recklessly. This was outer space, and if we accidentally flew out into the void, I didn’t think any of us would survive.

Besides, among those traveling with us was an elderly person who seemed to be taking their last breaths even at this very moment.

“I’ll say it again, don’t worry,” Ju-a said with a smile.

“I’ll only go in safe directions. I’m sure we can all get out safely.”

There was confidence in her voice. I wasn’t sure what that confidence was based on. Perhaps I was the basis for that confidence, I thought.

Because our lips had touched. Without some kind of emotion, such an action… isn’t easy to do.

With that power, perhaps we could succeed.

“Right now, I can help,” she said.

“I’ll help too,” Chaeyeon said, waving her staff to create thick ice around us.

“I’ll make ice that won’t break, not even once.”

Chaeyeon’s eyes glowed blue.

“Good. Then, are you ready?” I asked.

I picked up Pang Pang. Hayun carefully lifted the chairman with a very disgruntled expression.

“Don’t worry if something jumps out in front of us.”

Seo-hee, whose hair glowed as if burning red, said while bumping her fists together. Her gauntlets looked sturdier than ever.

“I’ll help too,” Yeonwoo said with a smile. She looked as if she was wrapped in the light of the sun.

As if that magic could instantly incinerate anything that stood in our way.

“Chairman, it’s a bit of a dangerous situation, right? If anything flies toward us, I’ll definitely block it.”

Jihye smiled brightly beside me. The green light was as beautiful as leaves.

The shield on her back was as thick as a tree trunk.

In Jihye’s arms was her mother, unconscious. Jihye’s face, holding her family close, was full of bright smiles.

Hope. For Jihye, today was the day she found hope. Ironically.

“No, I’ll protect all of you,” she said.

At those words, we all ended up laughing.

I found it absurd that we could laugh in this situation.

But it felt good.

I’m not alone. Whatever the reason, we’ve met like this.

So, until the end.

“Let’s go!” I shouted, and all the children ran.

One step, two steps, three steps—with each leap, we rose higher and higher. As if we might touch the ceiling of this wide corridor.

And—

Ju-a waved her staff.

That staff, which at a glance looked like a gun, was glowing with a bright purple light, whether it had a fuse inside or not.

The kind of beautiful light you sometimes see in photographs of space.

We jumped into that purple light.

I heard an explosion behind us. At the same time, I heard something crack. But our rear wasn’t engulfed in flames.

Something poured down toward us, but it fell over our heads, and no debris or fragments injured us.

Even if the corridor ahead collapsed, it would be instantly breached. All the large and small fragments that flew afterward were cleanly erased by Seo-hee and Yeonwoo.

Once again, we jumped into the purple light.

Our view changed once more. With each jump, we were getting closer to a much more distant place, closer to the ship.

A massive explosion sounded behind us. This time, even that thick ice couldn’t easily withstand it, and I heard something breaking.

We leaped with all our might into the largest warp Ju-a had created so far.

*

I barely managed to wrap my arms around the chairman, preventing us from rolling across the floor together.

I put Pang Pang down on the floor. Pang Pang immediately went to the chairman’s side, whom Hayun had carefully set down.

“I’ll stay here!” Jihye shouted. Chaeyeon naturally sat down beside her to look after the patients.

I nodded and ran with Ju-a and Hayun.

The ice that had frozen in the ship’s corridor was melting and breaking, but the kaijin had all lost their strength and collapsed. Perhaps due to the incomplete technology, they seemed too exhausted to move properly. We’d need to check each one, but since they still had kaijin bodies, they didn’t appear to be in any life-threatening danger.

Let’s get the ship moving first.

I called out to the communicator, warning everyone to be careful of any kaijin that might appear.

And so, running.

We reached the ship’s air conditioning system.

The generator had already been reduced to powder. In this situation, could we get the air conditioner working?

“We have the circuit,” Hayun said to me.

“With this circuit, we can generate our own energy.”

“How—”

But before my question could continue, Hayun was already demonstrating the answer.

Once again, our lips met.

It wasn’t the first time. In that short period, I had kissed not only Hayun but all the other girls as well.

Yet, my heart raced again this time.

Was something wrong with me?

No, it’s natural to think… I suppose.

Everything up to this point had happened too quickly.

I feel hope. Without knowing why, I somehow think all my days ahead will be bright and joyful. It’s a vague thought. If I think about it a little, I have no idea how I should act going forward.

When we return to headquarters, how should I look at the children?

How should I accept the emotions I’ve had until now?

No, more than that, we’ve struck down the leadership of Noir Corporation, boarded a ship, and been at the scene where a space station that Noir Corporation poured astronomical amounts of money into exploded. Honestly, I don’t know how to answer if people ask about that.

But all those worries were pushed far away by the new hopes that appeared.

Why not think about those things later?

We need to survive now, right?

We have to live to see what comes next.

Isn’t your heart racing?

The me inside my head whispered such things.

What’s truly absurd is that I ended up agreeing with those words.

The circuit ran at a speed incomparable to anything before.

The circuit, just like the generator had done, slowly began to disintegrate. Just as our clothes had transformed into magical girl outfits, the circuit too seemed to be changing its material properties into something we couldn’t understand.

That was probably…

Although I had only minimal common sense in this area and at best could only tinker with the staff Ju-a had made for me, I felt I could understand what that white light was.

That light was hope itself.

The hope we were looking toward and moving toward, taking form according to our wishes.

White light. Pink light. Purple light.

And other lights too. The blue, green, red, and yellow lights left behind gathered.

The air conditioner started running.

“Ju-a!” I called out, and Ju-a quickly ran toward it.

Ju-a’s clothes were slowly returning to what she had originally worn. Those clothes were torn and tattered everywhere, but somehow I thought she looked more radiant than anyone.

My clothes, and Hayun’s clothes were the same.

But still, magic overflowed in here.

Our hope itself.

“I’ll jump in any direction for now!” Ju-a shouted.

After that, my thoughts were briefly interrupted.

As the ship suddenly accelerated, Hayun and I fell to the floor, followed by Seo-hee and Yeonwoo who were just coming in.

Everyone grabbed the floor tightly and held on.

I looked at Hayun.

Even while struggling to hold onto the floor, Hayun was smiling at me.

We did it.

We were able to do it together.

I could tell we had reached hope, even without the circuit.