Ch.51Chapter 9. Things That Should Not Be Touched (5)

# In reality, going on a rampage wasn’t entirely pleasant.

I am… a person. Just an ordinary person. I was never particularly righteous, and if anything, I was a petty, jealous person.

I worked for a villainous organization, the kind portrayed negatively in comics.

Being a villainous group, they would naturally clash with magical girls, and I knew that when I joined.

So I took the beatings and endured. Hayun didn’t know my face anyway, and I would heal overnight.

I’ve hidden the jealousy I felt toward Hayun quite well over the years.

I’m somewhat aware that I’m now making excuses for why “I can’t take it anymore.”

But what can I do?

I’m not some paragon of virtue, just an emotional person like everyone else. The vessel that held my emotions was too small and fragile to contain what was welling up from deep within my chest.

There was a thunderous noise.

I could see people screaming and running away.

Some of them pointed at me and held up their smartphones to take photos or videos. Don’t they understand how serious the situation is?

I flew up to the high ceiling and struck it with my hammer. Dust showered down on people’s heads. Indeed, James wasn’t lying when he said it was sturdy. Well, considering magical girls might invade, it would have to be built strong.

Only after white dust rained down on their heads did those people finally scream and run.

At least they value their lives?

Not everyone had evacuated yet, but many people were getting out, and most importantly, the first-floor staff were moving in unison to escort people outside. Having experienced an explosion before, the company would naturally face serious problems if they couldn’t respond quickly to such situations.

“Let’s go up.”

I said that and spoke to the device James was riding.

“I thought you were going to destroy everything right away.”

James’s voice came through the speaker from outside. The cockpit was quite securely covered. Before it closed, I thought it would look cute with just that part forming a dome, but for a drone with four propulsion devices front and back, it had quite a sleek shape.

It looked like someone had taken just the front part of a fighter jet model and attached a drone underneath.

Was it designed that way to chase after me when I fly quickly? Well, it doesn’t matter. The most important thing is that it can follow me by utilizing my mana, and that it’s relatively safe. Thanks to that, I can move a bit more violently.

Without bothering to answer James, I swung my hammer.

Click.

Just as I had done before, the back part of the hammer opened up brightly.

The circuit was spinning rapidly. Naturally, energy was also discharged backward from the generator revealed by the opened hammer.

I jumped forward with all my might, propelled by that thrust.

All the unresolved frustrations, the current situation, the anxiety that I might not succeed, the hesitation about facing Hayun—

It felt refreshing, as if all those things were left behind.

The air inside the building was filled with dust from my rampage, and my ears were still ringing with people’s screams, but—

The sound of wind rushing past my ears as I ran at full speed made all those things a little quieter.

After running with all my might, I climbed onto a landing and stamped one foot on the floor.

In normal circumstances, I might have slipped and fallen at such an angle, but my foot pierced through the floor and rotated.

As I spun around with my leg as an axis after breaking through the stairs, I pulled the hammer head close when turning left, and after confirming the hammer had passed by the door, I extended it forward.

I spun around as if throwing the hammer. The hammer’s propulsion didn’t stop midway, so the hammer head drew a very fast circle around me.

Bang!

And I smashed it into the landing door, destroying it completely.

The door didn’t even make a proper cracking sound as it caved inward. The lower hinge somehow held, but the upper hinge flew off completely.

The door slammed shut against the wall again before falling to the ground in tatters.

I spun around once more, kicked off the ground, and moved forward.

As I ran forward with all my might, I struck the walls in all directions.

Hiss, chick.

Small sparks flew from the sides and front of the hammer, matching my movements. These were auxiliary propulsion devices that James had added after watching me fight last time.

I think I’ve seen something like this in missile launch videos.

Thanks to them, I could swing my hammer in all directions without staggering.

Decorations attached to the corridor broke and fell. Several dents appeared in the walls, and several doors were destroyed.

People rushed out from inside, saw me, and went back into their rooms. Those who went back in didn’t come out again.

Debris flew everywhere—stone fragments, dust, metal pieces, and broken wood. My head was probably gray by now.

Whether these things got on my clothes or not, I didn’t care at all as I ran.

There seemed to be a slight burning smell too.

Did I singe the carpet by striking the floor before the auxiliary propulsion devices had fully turned off? Or maybe it was the smell of air burning to gain thrust.

The sprinklers above my head burst. Alarms sounded from all directions. There seemed to be some kind of announcement, but I had jumped up and destroyed the speakers, so the sound just crackled.

People poured out from the places I had passed through. They ran screaming as water rained down on them from above.

I didn’t intend to destroy the entire building. What I destroyed was just one path I traveled.

I only had one body, which wasn’t enough to destroy the entire building. Time was somewhat limited.

Draw attention by taking enough time, and once attention is drawn, do exactly what I want to do. That was our plan.

This came from experience. Even when I was desperately fleeing, drawing things out had completely focused everyone’s attention on me.

Contrary to what the government, federation, or company had hoped, my desperate resistance was extensively covered by the media. Trying to suppress it with embargoes was pretty useless. Someone had already broadcast it live.

Among the fleeing people who took videos and photos.

How many of them would post online?

As I ran with all my might, I could see the other end of the corridor.

Bang!

“One more floor.”

I muttered after breaking through the door.

“Excellent.”

James replied. With his voice coming through the speaker, it felt like I was talking to a robot. The drone’s appearance reinforced that impression.

But his voice clearly contained pleasure. How terrifying. A robot with emotions. It seems like it could burn this whole world down.

Am I a human traitor collaborating with such a robot?

Not bad.

The upper floor, and the one above that.

As I ran with all my might, I destroyed things as I pleased.

I was getting the hang of destruction.

Hitting fire extinguishers is good for turning the surroundings into a mess. I struck fire hydrants to flood the area with water, and with the propulsion devices running front and back, I swung my hammer in all directions to scorch everything around me.

“Ah, wait. I just had a good idea.”

“A good idea?”

When I exclaimed with a pleased expression, James expressed doubt. The drone tilted slightly to one side, which seemed like it was cocking its head, making it somewhat endearing.

This time, instead of heading to the opposite corridor, I went in a different direction.

I suddenly veered my body and ran toward the central part of the building.

There were many elevators there.

They were all going down.

I chose the elevator closest to the first floor.

The elevator doors bent inward terribly. Is this why they tell you not to lean on them? Well, they broke because “I” leaned on them. I am a person after all.

And then I jumped down.

Why didn’t I think of this from the beginning?

Thud.

To prevent the elevator from falling too soon, I landed on top of one that seemed to have stopped around the first floor.

I couldn’t completely absorb the speed, so there was quite a loud noise, and I could hear screams from inside due to the shaking.

I forcibly tore off the maintenance hatch at the top and stuck my face through it.

Some of the people inside fell on their backsides in shock.

“What are you doing? Not running away?”

When I nodded toward the open door, those few people quickly crawled out on all fours.

Good. Is no one left?

“Which floor did you say the broadcasting room was on?”

“The 22nd floor. Almost at the top.”

“Should have come in through the roof.”

“Weren’t you the one who insisted on coming through the first floor?”

That’s right.

I wanted to make sure people had enough time to escape.

“Well, it doesn’t matter. The 22nd floor, you said?”

I pulled my face out with a grin.

I gripped the hammer tightly with both hands and drew my legs together.

“Can you follow me?”

“It’s designed to follow your mana, so it’s not impossible.”

James spoke with a slightly sighing voice, as if he knew what I was thinking.

It was a voice that seemed to say, “If you knew this would happen, why didn’t you do it this way from the start?”

Why? You were the one who told me to destroy as much as possible.

“Alright. Then follow me well.”

I grinned at the drone demonstratively and jumped up with all my might.

Bang!

The elevator I had been standing on made such a scream, and my body floated upward.

The 22nd floor, huh.

Can I jump up there in one go?

It doesn’t matter.

I just need to jump off whatever I can, as many times as necessary.

It was strange.

The air inside was stuffy, my body was already soaked with sweat and water, and on top of that, I was covered in dust.

Yet strangely, my mind felt refreshed.

Perhaps it was because I was smashing things I disliked with all my might.

Nevertheless, the circuit kept spinning.

Maybe my head was also spinning along with the circuit.

*

Bang!

The sound could be heard from quite far away.

Ironically, the building looked quite intact from the outside. It didn’t seem to be on fire yet, and from the outside, the windows were just reflecting the sunset.

But people were pouring out through the entrance.

The first floor of Noir Corporation, facing Seoul City Hall, was a shopping mall. Though called the first floor, it wasn’t like a typical building’s first floor; it had a high-ceilinged hall-type structure, so it could accommodate many people.

Naturally, it was a place that got quite crowded in the evening, even on weekdays.

Police sirens filled the streets, and police officers who had arrived quickly were helping people evacuate.

Pandemonium.

That was the only word that came to mind.

[The target went up through the elevator shaft. It appears the upper floors are the target, so please approach from above.]

Hearing such words from the communicator was distressing.

The magical girls were looking at Hayun.

What should we do?

That was the look in their eyes.

Just moments ago, they had agreed to say that Jieun hadn’t done anything wrong.

Rose and Dalia were more cautious. Delphinium seemed to be maintaining neutrality, keeping her mouth shut.

Hayun understood them, and that’s why she persuaded them by explaining what outcome awaited if they didn’t act.

Sooner or later, what Hayun intended to do remained the same. If Jieun were arrested for a crime she didn’t commit and taken to court, Hayun planned to testify to the best of her ability.

And Hayun was among the most recognized magical girls.

If the truth came out, the magical girls would no longer be able to “maintain the status quo.” Jieun had no intention of being captured quietly, and above all, the magical girls themselves already knew the situation.

They eventually listened to Hayun.

But now this situation had developed.

“This isn’t just venting anger.”

Hayun said.

“There must be some reason.”

“It could be revenge.”

Rose said with a somewhat serious expression.

“The chairman’s office is on the 22nd floor.”

The magical girls knew what Noir Corporation’s headquarters looked like. They might never actually invade the headquarters, but who knows how situations might unfold?

Just as Noir Corporation’s combatants had taken researchers from the Federation research facility, the Federation might be plotting something too.

Because of that, even if they didn’t know every part of the building, they already knew the “key locations.”

The 22nd floor was near the top of the 24-story building. The 23rd floor was a management area, and the 24th floor had an observation deck, so it was essentially the highest floor for company operations.

“…No way.”

If this was a terrorist attack, who was the perpetrator?

Naturally, the person who benefited most from the terror would be the culprit.

If it was the current chairman who had suddenly taken over after the previous chairman disappeared—

And considering the Squeakean who was with Jieun, it seemed quite clear what choice Jieun was making by heading to the 22nd floor.

“Let’s hurry.”

Iris said.

“If she kills someone, there will be no turning back from that point.”

Hayun gritted her teeth at those words.

The magical girls headed toward the building.

*

My rampage didn’t stop on the 22nd floor either.

Bang!

As soon as I broke through the elevator doors and came out, I was confronted by combatants holding guns.

They seemed to know I would come from that direction and had formed a sort of formation, but.

As soon as I came out of the elevator, I immediately struck the floor several times with my hammer. I was confident the building wouldn’t collapse just from this.

But no matter how sturdy a building is, when you hit the floor with such powerful force, it makes the ground shake for people nearby.

Seeing the combatants’ terrified expressions, I planted both feet firmly on the floor, then made all the propulsion devices on my hammer spew fire with all their might.

The temperature in this place began to rise rapidly. The flames discharged from the propulsion devices were hot enough to burn and melt everything they touched.

“All of you, get out!”

I shouted.

“If you don’t leave, I’ll make you leave.”

“……”

The combatants looked at each other, seemingly confused for a moment.

Thud.

When one combatant at the front dropped his gun, what followed was instantaneous.

“Uh, uwaah!”

One of the combatants made such a sound as he turned and ran.

The person next to him, and the person next to that one, all fled in terror.

Not one of them even thought of shooting at me.

Well, they’re all just hired for money anyway.

If the people in suits are Earth humans, that’s even more the case. They might think magical girls could hold me off for a moment, but I was genuinely smashing everything without showing any mercy.

A somewhat exaggerated reputation can be quite useful.

While maintaining the propulsion devices, I walked.

“Broadcast… broadcast…. Found it.”

I found a door and stood in front of it.

I reduced the propulsive force of the hammer a bit. The hissing noise of burning air became somewhat quieter.

“…You can modify this, right?”

“That’s correct. The more ‘live broadcasting equipment’ there is, the better. Not all of that equipment can be wired, can it?”

“Alien technology is amazing.”

“Well, it’s something we can do because we have energy…”

We shrugged at each other.

Actually, the drone just floated up and down slightly, but somehow it felt like that.

“…Then, this is the end.”

“It won’t be the end if you escape well.”

James said.

Really now.

Even while still thinking of using me until this very moment, he speaks so convincingly.

Well, he was like that even when I worked at the company.

I don’t like it though.

I gripped the hammer tightly with both hands and struck the door with all my might.

Bang!

“…Huh?”

But the door didn’t break.

It didn’t look much different from the doors I had broken until now.

There was a dent where the hammer had hit. But from inside—

“Oh no, dodge—”

Before James could finish those words, everything went white.

Pain like being hit by some kind of explosion enveloped my entire body. Even though I was covering myself with mana.

Is this the second time I’ve been hit like this?

Strangely enough, even as I was flying through the air and hitting the wall, I was thinking such thoughts.

But it wasn’t an explosion.

Bang!

I was barely able to dodge the second strike by shifting my body to the side.

“…A robot?”

Relieved that I hadn’t lost my grip on the hammer, I finally regained my posture.

“That’s impossible…! It can’t be! Noir Corporation doesn’t have such technology…!”

[You’re not the only one who can make such sophisticated things, James.]

I looked up.

The voice was coming from the corridor speakers.

[This is a company, after all. Isn’t it natural for a company to have technology superior to what an individual possesses?]

I looked at James.

I couldn’t see his expression, but he seemed flustered, unable to continue speaking.

Thud, thud.

Crushing the broken door of the broadcasting room, massive things walked out.

They seem 1.5 times… no, twice my size. Arms as thick as my waist, and the fists at the end look incredibly solid.

What I don’t like is that the design of these monstrous things is very clean. They have the image of friendly security robots that might appear in near-future sci-fi.

Was that their original purpose?

No wonder my head went white after being hit by something like that.

“…I’ll have to fight, right?”

[Well, give it your best shot. We have quite a few of those.]