Ch.53Chapter 9. Things That Should Not Be Touched (7)

The room I returned to after so long had become a disaster zone because of me.

I tried not to kill anyone. After all, I had a weapon in my hands that could kill a person instantly.

The Kaijin would only be injured if I hit them hard with this, but for normal people, just having it fall on them could make parts of their body fall off too.

The flames from the propulsion system could probably burn someone to the bone. Of course, I don’t think those flames are like any fire I know, but at the very least, they could melt the wires that had fallen on my head, couldn’t they?

There were two reasons I tried not to kill anyone.

One was that I didn’t want to become a murderer.

I’m not a good person. Haven’t I ended up here for purely emotional reasons, even at truly critical moments?

I worked for Noir Corporation despite knowing from the webtoon that they were villains, and when my life is in danger, I rampage without concern for others’ safety.

But still, I didn’t want to kill anyone.

It was a kind of line I drew.

…I might cross it someday.

If the current chairman of Noir Corporation had been standing in front of me, I might have really killed him.

But even though I lost control, I didn’t want to do that in front of Jihye. No, I really didn’t.

So with a hardened expression, I fed my fist into each of their gas masks, one by one.

Crack.

It wasn’t just the gas masks that broke.

Unlike military gas masks with two separate eye holes, these were more like industrial masks with a single large transparent plastic piece for better visibility. They weren’t strong enough to fully protect the faces beneath them from my fists.

Blood splattered.

My fists became covered in blood.

Obviously not my own.

The men whose gas masks had shattered and who had inhaled the gas collapsed one by one.

They were still breathing, so they weren’t dead, but to the people watching, it probably didn’t look that way.

I suppose someone with plastic fragments embedded in their face while unconscious could easily look like they’d died from facial collapse.

Some ran away, while others actually rushed toward Jihye.

Neither worked.

I grabbed the fleeing one by the scruff of his neck, yanked him back, and slammed my fist into his face. That man, who was about a head taller than me, hit the back of his head on the floor as his gas mask shattered and went limp.

The guy who rushed toward Jihye… he was probably trying to take her hostage.

I planted a roundhouse kick into his waist.

He flew dramatically and crashed his entire body into my desk.

The CDs and player I had collected hit the man’s body and fell to the floor with a crash.

“…”

I stood there blankly for a few seconds after the room had been cleared in just over ten seconds.

It was a mess. Blood everywhere, the desk in shambles…

I didn’t know what to do. Should I just disappear?

First, I broke one leg of each man who had entered the room. Whether it was faces or legs, they could be healed at a treatment center anyway. This seemed more reliable than just tying them up.

Then I dragged them outside.

All the children and teachers were unconscious.

There was some strange device in the hallway. It looked like an oxygen tank that would be placed next to a critical patient in a hospital, with various mechanical attachments.

“…”

The circuit was running. Perhaps I was feeling even more despair now than when I was rampaging inside that building.

…Everything was ruined.

Because of me.

Even the only place I considered home.

How would the children here see me now? The teachers? Would I ever be able to come back here?

A black dot appeared in the air.

I let go of the people I was holding.

I didn’t know where they were going, but the people disappeared. At least those who had forcibly invaded were gone now.

That device too.

Would the unconscious people wake up again? If so, how long would it take?

I didn’t know.

I didn’t know anything. My mind wasn’t working properly.

I opened the windows of the building, and felt the slightly acrid air ventilating, but…

I ran to the director’s office. The director was also unconscious, slumped over her desk.

I picked up the receiver and called 119.

Please, please, please.

Let everyone be okay.

Let everyone be all right.

*

There were too many Kaijin.

No matter how strong the magical girls were, they weren’t omnipotent.

It varied depending on the Kaijin, but generally, several magical girls would rush in together to subdue a single Kaijin.

A monster that had lost its reason and was rampaging wouldn’t care how many people around it got hurt, or even if they died.

There’s quite a gap between fighting while being mindful of your surroundings to minimize damage, and a being that doesn’t care about such things.

Plus, the magical girls had to subdue the Kaijin without killing them. For the Kaijin to return to their original form, they needed to be sent back into space, far away from Earth’s inhabitants.

Those who returned to their original form forgot all memories of when they were Kaijin.

No matter how many people were injured or killed, they weren’t held accountable.

“…”

Of course, the situation here was different.

They didn’t have to worry about how much the surroundings were destroyed, but there were too many Kaijin to subdue without killing them.

Rose’s gauntlet smashed into the face of a Kaijin shaped like a large dog. Though I say dog, it was actually walking on two legs, so it looked more like an armored werewolf.

“Ugh…!”

Even though the blow landed squarely on its face and the helmet cracked to reveal the inside, the Kaijin swung its hand. The claws at the end were sharp.

Kigigik!

She blocked it with her gauntlet, and it scraped past, leaving a terrible scratch.

Thud!

But something heavy hit her back.

It was a foot. A tall, lanky being with long arms had kicked her in the waist.

“Rose, get down!” Delphinium shouted.

Rose used her momentum to throw herself to the floor. As she lay flat on the ground, she felt something hot pass over her back.

Boom!

Oxygen burned and air rushed back into the void with a thunderous sound.

The sound of two Kaijin collapsing was heard.

Dalia fired a barrage of magic at the injured Kaijin to prevent them from getting up. Thanks to her, one more Kaijin besides the two who had fainted was unable to rise from the floor.

Ratatat!

On the opposite side, Iris was firing her gun.

The long gun she usually used was already discarded on the floor. There were no more fuses to use with it. Besides, it was nearly impossible to aim with a long gun when the Kaijin were so close.

She covered Hayun’s back, firing a short gun like a submachine gun while Hayun swung her sword.

Glancing back briefly, she saw pink trajectories dancing.

Ducking smoothly under a thick hand swung at her, she took one quick step forward and turned her body.

Slash.

“…!”

Hayun’s circuit was spinning rapidly. The glowing pink blade went from bottom to top, piercing through the Kaijin’s armpit and emerging outside its shoulder.

Unflinching at the ear-splitting howl, she pulled out the blade and grabbed the Kaijin’s back.

Then, stepping on the belt section that protruded slightly from the smooth armor, she jumped up and stabbed the opposite shoulder of the Kaijin again.

Bang!

With a small explosion, something burst out. The arm didn’t fall off, but some device on the right shoulder exploded, revealing a burned arm.

The circuit.

The magical girls had been trying hard to locate the circuits while fighting the Kaijin.

But the exact location of the circuit was different for each Kaijin. If they had a silhouette similar to humans, it wasn’t too difficult to find. Usually, it was behind either the left or right shoulder. Perhaps to directly pour energy into the joints.

It was a different story for Kaijin that ran on all fours, or those with two pairs of arms or legs.

Nevertheless, Hayun calmly reduced the number of Kaijin one by one.

Thud!

“Argh!?”

When the circuit was destroyed, the Kaijin rampaged even more. Its physical strength might have decreased without the power assist, but conversely, the restrictions on its movements imposed by the suit were also released.

The Kaijin jumped up and slammed its back against the wall, forcing Hayun, who was behind it, to crash into the wall as well.

Gunshots rang out again, and the Kaijin, hit in the head by Iris’s bullets, collapsed lifelessly.

Two Kaijin rushed at Iris.

This kind of fighting continued.

The number of fallen Kaijin was already in double digits. Were there always this many Kaijin? The number of Kaijin the magical girls had captured was certainly high, but the number here seemed too many to be in one place.

Could there be a way to create Kaijin?

Everyone was thinking that, but—

“No!”

A Kaijin that had thrown Rose aside was rushing forward quickly.

It was unclear if it was trying to enter the broadcast room. It couldn’t make such judgments or give such orders.

But just being nearby was dangerous. The walls around here were already badly damaged from the battle with the Kaijin. If something entered the broadcast room, where even the door had been blown away, it would be uncontrollable.

Hayun flew at the Kaijin and collided with it using her body.

A groan escaped her lips. It was like hitting a large boulder. Something seemed to have broken, but she didn’t let go of her staff.

…Jieun must have struggled like this too.

No, it must have been worse for her. Hayun was fighting with hope, but Jieun hadn’t been able to do that at all.

“…Aaaah!”

Forcing herself to shout like that, she took a step forward. She swung her staff to cut the opponent’s leg and stabbed it into the shoulder.

This time there was no circuit there, and the Kaijin grabbed Hayun’s body and threw her.

She almost went straight into the broadcast room, but she grabbed the wall and forcibly stopped herself. There was a dangerous sound from her fingers, but she ignored it.

I can still fight.

Hayun regained her stance.

From the side came the sound of gunfire and magic flying simultaneously. The Kaijin twisted its body as Dalia and Iris attacked at the same time.

The support couldn’t last long. Both of them soon had to face Kaijin rushing toward them.

A bright light enveloped the Kaijin once, and its movement stopped momentarily. While the Kaijin was staggering from the impact of Delphinium’s hastily cast spell, Hayun quickly moved behind the Kaijin’s waist and slashed its back.

With a small explosion, the Kaijin collapsed.

“Haa, haa… haa.”

Hayun stood her ground with wide eyes.

When she gritted her teeth and looked at the Kaijin, their movements hesitated a little.

The instinct-driven Kaijin were feeling a bit of fear.

Her magically created clothes were torn in various places. Some areas were stained with blood, and there were bruises here and there.

But she couldn’t collapse yet.

Jieun hadn’t arrived yet.

Hayun was the one who had said she would guard this place.

“…”

The other girls didn’t look much different from Hayun.

But still, none of them had left. Even though no one would blame them if they did.

Hayun’s sword ignited.

Hayun walked slowly toward the Kaijin in front of her.

Several Kaijin stepped back.

No, she couldn’t just let them go.

If they went outside like this, they would surely harm people.

Most of the people in the building had probably escaped, but there were still police officers outside the building. And reporters who had gathered.

If the Kaijin went outside, those people would get hurt.

…Whether magical girls were truly righteous beings.

No, whether she herself was a righteous being, she was still confused. Perhaps she had just been trapped in her own world until now, not properly looking around her.

But even so, she didn’t want to give up on what she believed in.

Hayun ran.

She couldn’t let a single one in.

She had no intention of letting a single one go.

Gunshots were heard again, and magic was seen flying. The back area lit up brightly. Delphinium was preparing the next spell.

Rose ran beside Hayun.

…She had done something terrible.

If she had just kept quiet, they might not have had to go through this. No one would have said anything if she had said she wouldn’t follow Hayun and would stay put.

What would happen from now on?

Would they become fugitives too? Would the Federation come immediately and demand the return of their circuits?

She had no idea. There was nothing she could guess.

Jieun would have endured in a situation like this.

“…”

She gritted her teeth.

Wanting to keep at least one promise, even if it was a promise Hayun had made unilaterally, Hayun didn’t stop.

*

When I returned, it was a mess.

“…”

Kaijin were collapsed everywhere. Almost none of them had intact armor.

Some revealed bare skin or furry skin as if a part had burst out, and some were twitching and trying to get up, but they couldn’t seem to muster the strength to rise.

And.

Near the door, four magical girls were leaning and collapsed.

Dalia and Delphinium were slumped against the wall, gasping for breath. They didn’t seem to have the strength to keep their eyes open.

Rose, with one knee raised and her right arm resting on it, looked up at me with slightly unfocused eyes. Her gauntlets were dented and cracked all over.

Iris was still sitting with her gun in hand.

…Besides the four, there was one more person.

Hayun was standing.

As if guarding the doorway of the now-destroyed broadcast room.

Inside that doorway, unlike the corridor, everything looked too clean and intact.

There were bloodstains around the doorframe. Traces of someone gripping it tightly with bloody hands.

“…Why?”

I asked blankly.

What could be the reason for being able to stand despite being in such a mess?

Why did they suddenly come to find me and help?

“Jieun.”

Hayun smiled brightly.

Despite being in such a mess.

Sweat glistened all over her body. Black dust stuck to it, making her look terrible. Of course, I didn’t look much better right now—

“…”

Hayun turned her body slightly to the side to make way.

I looked at Hayun, then slowly entered the broadcast room.

“What a fine thing you’re doing.”

A sarcastic voice was heard.

“I wonder if you think it’s rational to do such a thing at the most crucial moment.”

But even as he said that, James stepped aside.

All sorts of wires were hanging from the drone. Those wires were plugged into broadcasting equipment, and the equipment was lit up.

“As expected, they cut off the internet and electricity,” James said, still sarcastically.

But this time, his sarcasm wasn’t directed at me.

“But what we needed was the undamaged equipment itself. They withdrew all their forces that could have damaged it and concentrated all the Kaijin just in here. They must have only been afraid of the magical girls. How stupid.”

“…”

I moved forward as I listened to those words.

James had descended from the drone and was perched on top of the equipment.

Standing next to the microphone, James said, “The piracy preparations are already complete.”

And he pressed a button.

The microphone lit up.

Is this what you call… turning it on?

Watching James bow exaggeratedly like an actor greeting after a performance, I picked up the wireless microphone.

And I looked back.

Hayun was leaning against the doorframe, smiling at me.

Is she telling me to… do as I wish?

Many thoughts came to mind.

Why? For what reason?

She’s a magical girl. She’s always been in that position until now.

Both when she didn’t know me and when she did.

If she does this…

If she does this, I can’t hate her.

I can’t win either…

I gripped the microphone tightly.

I turned to look at James.

Yes. But in the end, this is all I have left. That chairman has destroyed even my last connection to the people I have left.

Probably Jihye, and the people at the orphanage, will be afraid of me from now on.

So— I have to do this.

James pressed a button on the broadcasting equipment. I don’t know what it does, but when it turned on, my face filled all the screens.

From all the screens in the broadcast room.

In the corner of all those screens, each had a broadcasting station’s logo. Some were set up like breaking news, probably because they were broadcasting news. [Black Magical Girl, Terrorism Again?] They sure talk big.

“I—”

What should I say?

How should I introduce myself?

After thinking for a moment, I just said, “I am not a terrorist.”

I wonder what people will say watching this broadcast.

I don’t know.

“I’m not the one who planted the bomb then. I was just one of Noir Corporation’s combatants, just one of those caught up in it.”

Once I started speaking, the rest came without hesitation.

“I don’t think— you’ll believe me just because I say this.

But, just, I couldn’t bear how unfair it was. When I woke up knowing nothing, the people who came for me were the police. I was just there. I just lost consciousness after getting caught up in it, but people tried to take me somewhere I didn’t know.

So I ran away. I just kept running and running. But more and more people chased me, so I was scared…”

The screen changed.

The scene of me being shot.

The scene of bullets piercing through the thin hospital gown I was wearing, not even properly dressed. The scene of me collapsing there, bleeding.

The scene of thick nets pouring down on me in layers. At first, my figure could be seen through the nets, but soon too many things piled on top, making me completely invisible.

I looked at James.

Where and how did he find this footage? Did he hack into something?

“After that, I tried to survive. Running away, hiding. …Yes, I did steal the generator. I hated the people following me. And that company just abandoned me. They pushed all the responsibility onto me. I wanted revenge on such a company too.”

I continued speaking.

“I tried to look good to you all too. But even when I defeated Kaijin, all that came back were gunshots. Even when I rescued hostages, I was just a terrorist.”

The screen changed again, showing me fighting Kaijin and then getting shot. They all seemed to be footage from police body cameras.

“So, I came here today. To tell you about myself. You might not believe me. The government, the company, the Federation, they’ll all just treat me as a terrorist.”

One screen went out.

“But it was too unfair not to speak…”

Another screen went out.

“…And.”

Yes, and.

“…Those bastards who crossed the line trying to stop me today.”

I glared at the screen.

Many screens went out one after another, and finally only one screen in front of me remained. This one was probably being controlled too.

“…The trash who took the orphanage hostage. I will never forgive you.”

I spoke through gritted teeth.

“Wait for me. I’ll let you know everything. I’ll pay back everything—for making me like this, for trying to do such things. I’ll find each one of you and take my revenge for sure.”

If they had just let me broadcast, I would have only talked about how unfair it was.

But, they’ve already crossed that line.

Once the line is crossed, I can’t just end it.

With all sincerity, I said, “So, wait for me.”

Even the screen I was glaring at went out.

My face reflected in the black screen was glaring back at me.

I was a mess, just like Hayun.

A mess, but at least not a helpless face.

Until coming here, this was supposed to be the end.

But now I had a new goal.