Ch.81Chapter 14. Chaos (4)

“Someday, we’ll go back together.”

Hayun still held onto that hope.

She was still thinking about taking me back to school—me, who had been a combatant for a company run by obvious villains, who had deceived Hayun for a long time, and who had been caught up in terrorism.

Perhaps that was the driving force behind Hayun’s fight.

But.

I had, in the end, committed crimes.

Whether I was guilty or not, I had resisted and escaped from those who were detaining me. I still don’t know if they were really taking me to another hospital or dragging me to some research facility. But I clearly escaped from people who were operating legally.

In the process, several police officers must have been injured. Not fatally, and not enough to leave permanent aftereffects, but still.

I destroyed a lot of police equipment, and I snuck into company facilities and stole important equipment.

It’s probably impossible for all those crimes to completely disappear.

What I think is right and what is legal or illegal often don’t align.

And yet.

“…Should we go in and sleep?”

Even though she must know all this.

How can Hayun smile at me like that?

Hayun, holding my hand, moved slowly.

If I just stood here like I was nailed to the spot, I could shake off Hayun’s hand. It was held so lightly, as if not forcing me.

But somehow, I didn’t want to.

I didn’t want to let go of the hope flickering before my eyes.

In the end, with my lips pressed tightly together, I let myself be led by Hayun’s feather-light pull.

Perhaps Hayun… is planning to return me to school this way?

How?

I thought about it several times on the way back, but couldn’t reach a conclusion.

Maybe that’s what hope is.

Even without any logic, even when you think it’s almost certainly impossible.

In the end, believing that it will be there.

The circuit was still trembling a little.

*

Last time, only Hayun, Iris, and I went as combatants. James went with us too, but if we’re talking about people who would fight on the front lines, there were just three of us including me. James was only there to support us.

He’s not completely useless in battle, but James alone couldn’t possibly face a kaijin.

The place we went last time wasn’t that high in ranking in terms of scale or importance, so that number was enough.

But this time is different.

We don’t know how complex the inside of the research facility is. But regardless of whether it’s narrow or wide, having too few people is disadvantageous. We don’t know how many kaijin there will be, but if they mix in with the combatants and try to attack us, we’ll be cornered in an instant.

So this time, we decided to all go together.

No one was staying behind. Even Cherry decided to go with Hayun.

If one or two people stayed behind and the rest couldn’t return, they’d just be waiting indefinitely. It’s difficult to plan for the future with just a few people anyway.

It’s better to be in a state where everyone can share the situation equally.

“Can’t we appear inside? There are forces at the entrance.”

“That’s not easy,” James said.

“We’re still researching magical girl magic, but there’s a reason all large-scale warp point devices are installed outside. If you get trapped somewhere you can’t escape from while moving, or if you merge with objects at your destination, that would be troublesome.”

“…Has that happened before?”

“There have been no ‘confirmed’ cases so far. In fact, there can’t be. All magic includes the imagination of the person using it. And naturally, there are parts they instinctively fear. That’s also why magic doesn’t harm its user. At least from the ‘creator’s perspective,’ you can’t be hurt by your own magic.”

The hammer I wield has flames behind it hot enough to melt steel.

But I’ve never been burned while wielding it. It might be thanks to the magic protecting my body, but according to James, it’s also possible because “I naturally think it should be that way.”

If we were to examine the cause, it’s probably because I think too… loosely about the existence of magic.

“Then, does that mean people who want to harm themselves can do it?”

“As I said, there are no cases yet. Whether that’s because those who imagined such things moved to the center of a star and couldn’t even leave a corpse, or because even those who find pleasure in pain or wish for death can’t escape their deepest instincts, I don’t know.”

Well, even if it were possible, if they moved somewhere deep underground, no one could find them. Unless someone deliberately digs up the layers of earth millions of years later.

“If you have very detailed knowledge about the place, it might be possible. However, all objects at the destination—chairs, desks, and so on—would have to be exactly where you remember them. If there’s something overlapping where you want to appear, it might not activate due to the ‘danger’ condition.”

“…But I’ve jumped directly into buildings before.”

“Well, your magic might be a bit different from other magic. Warp points and black holes are… at least outwardly different. Or maybe your mind is that much more stable now. Don’t you think you don’t want to take risks? Actually, opening a warp point with just human power is almost unprecedented.”

Wait a minute.

That means James made that suggestion knowing I could have merged with a wall or something like that.

I narrowed my eyes and glared at James, but he was already inside the drone and his expression wasn’t visible.

“Besides, think about it,” James said annoyingly.

“At that time, weren’t you very flustered after seeing the magical girl… girls? Sometimes, the desire to escape far away is stronger than the desire to survive. Isn’t that right?”

I was very annoyed at James for looking at Hayun while saying “magical girl.” Seeing Hayun’s face turn a bit pale, I decided not to continue the conversation.

The more I talked, the more it would only emphasize how miserable and cornered I had been before joining the magical girls.

“There doesn’t seem to be much to worry about.”

Whether she read my thoughts or just thought my worries were unnecessary, Iris spoke up.

“At least the police seem to view us favorably. Well, not everyone will think the same way, of course.”

According to the information we heard on the radio, that’s the case.

At least we never directly attacked their people, and since we risked our lives to prevent deaths, public opinion toward us was favorable.

Even if there were identical bombs in the research facility causing the same accident, people wouldn’t be so easily deceived by the government and media this time.

“Alright then,” I said.

“…Let’s hope those humans have placed some convincing bait in the research facility. We need to raid it multiple times, and make them think we’re targeting it.”

The children nodded.

I took a deep breath.

I deliberately closed my eyes to avoid looking at Hayun’s face.

At least the circuit was working enough for me to fight. And—

I could still create black holes.

“…Let’s go.”

When I spoke, the children jumped into the black hole one by one.

None of them showed any doubt. If it were me, I would have felt uneasy every time I jumped in.

Is that what makes them magical girls? Is it trust in “comrades”?

Comrades… am I a comrade too?

Or are we all just uncertain?

I’m not sure.

Since I became conscious of Hayun, I’ve become unsure of many things.

…Let’s focus for now.

I tightly closed my eyes, thought that, and jumped into the black hole.

Beyond it was a large building.

A simple building similar to a complex. It was smaller than the complex, but at least from the outside, the building itself seemed much more solidly built.

Well, there used to be a department store there in my world. It was a place that could be understood by thinking of it as similar to that department store building.

And at each entrance, people dressed in black were lined up on guard.

Police buses were lined up on the road like a wall.

This time too, we were floating in the air above the building.

The magical girls and I slowly descended. Of course, there were police on the roof too. There weren’t that many. The bored-looking police standing at the edge of the roof had rifles slung on the wall, and the police guarding the roof entrance were holding guns in their hands like sentries in front of a unit.

As Iris said, no police shot at us when we descended.

They were just staring at us with wide eyes.

“…”

What should I do?

I’m a bit worried now.

Although I did play a role last time, my relationship with the police isn’t exactly good. Just thinking about the price of the police equipment I destroyed, it wasn’t an amount that could be easily repaid.

While I was pondering this, Hayun, who had landed lightly beside me, approached a police officer on guard on the roof with light footsteps.

“Excuse me, could you please step aside?”

“What?”

The police officer made a dumbfounded sound at Hayun’s outrageous request.

“We’re not here to fight with the police.”

In a way, this conversation might be the first time we’re talking with the police since we escaped.

Until now, we’ve only been making one-sided demands to each other. Drop your weapons and surrender, bring us food.

…

It was something that protesters occupying a place might do… no, it was much more serious, honestly speaking, it was like what terrorists with hostages would do.

There were no actual hostages, so the negotiations eventually broke down, but still.

“We have… something we need to do. We need to clear our names. People need to know the truth. Wasn’t the last broadcast insufficient?”

The two police officers standing in front of the roof exit looked at each other.

“You don’t need to worry too much,” Hayun said.

“No one will know.”

“…”

But the police didn’t easily step aside.

They didn’t want to fight us, but maybe duty is duty.

“I’m sorry, but we have circumstances…”

The police officer’s gaze turned toward the body camera attached to his body.

I see.

Because evidence remains, even just talking with Hayun might be very burdensome for the police.

…Is it my turn to step up?

Seeing me walk forward with heavy steps, the police officers flinched slightly, unlike when they were talking with Hayun.

“Move.”

“We are—”

Before the police officer could answer, I struck the floor with my hammer.

Crack.

The concrete cracked. This definitely wouldn’t make the building collapse, but even if the building didn’t collapse, it could easily break human bones.

“…”

Hayun smiled bitterly at my action.

Yes, I don’t plan to hold back from here. Fighting with the police would be a loss for us too. It would be a waste of time, and above all, getting shot hurts.

When I rushed toward the police officers, they quickly backed away.

And I saw the door in front of me.

I struck the door hard, sending it flying inside.

The two police officers, and indeed all the police on the roof, stared at me with their mouths open.

“Is this good enough?”

One of the police officers quickly nodded.

I entered the roof and walked down the stairs with heavy steps.

“You’re so considerate,” Hayun said with a smile as she followed me down.

“What consideration?”

“You did that because you were worried those people might face repercussions if they let us through directly.”

“As if.”

I answered with a slightly exasperated expression.

We couldn’t just stand there arguing. Besides, since they didn’t shoot at us, they’ll inevitably face repercussions anyway.

No, maybe if they say they were scared of me, the story changes? I haven’t heard of police officers facing severe repercussions for not shooting at kaijin.

Honestly, I’m not too happy about being placed in the position of a ‘kaijin’ either.

If there really was a favorable atmosphere toward me, the police wouldn’t worry.

After I’ve been handling things on my own, the police probably just want to let me continue doing so.

*

So what about this research facility we’re targeting—

“Ugh!”

Rose said that as she jumped back as if bounced.

Rose’s arm, which had blocked the kaijin’s fist, trembled.

They were here after all.

This time it was a person like a walking elephant. Well, I’m not sure if it can be called a person, but in this world, all aliens are “people” anyway.

An elephant and a rhinoceros.

If they were real animals, the rhinoceros would be incomparably smaller than the elephant, but as kaijin, that wasn’t necessarily the case.

“They were here as expected.”

I muttered.

“What should we do? Fight moderately and then leave? Or hand the kaijin over to the police?”

Rose asked so naturally, but there was no time to consider that right now.

There were only two of them, but their armor had become stronger.

The kaijin we met in front of the broadcasting room that day were all different sizes. The difficulty of defeating them varied accordingly. Usually, the smaller ones were easier to take down.

And I’m starting to understand why.

The smaller ones are usually agile, but often lack strength.

In other words, the armor they can carry is thinner, and the resonance devices they can fit are smaller. They’re relatively easier to deal with.

On the other hand, if they have the form of an elephant, rhinoceros, or bear, the thickness of their armor is enormous. They endure that much better.

And their circuits are also huge.

Clang!

When I swung my hammer at the rhinoceros’s head, it only made that sound and then glared at me, roaring as if it had become angrier, which honestly scared me a bit.

The circuit was working again as I fought, but it still wasn’t enough. The opponent was already strong.

“…Let’s do what we can and get out.”

In the end, I had no choice but to give such an answer.

“Alright, then…!”

Rose, who was back-to-back with me, ran with all her might and struck the elephant in front of her.

“Oh.”

And she said with a bit of admiration.

“Has their technology declined? With the circuit from last time too, was losing one technician that big of a problem?”

“…”

No.

It’s probably because the total amount of my energy has decreased.

Even though we were fighting two kaijin, James was boldly scanning the surroundings.

He seemed to think that even though he said there would be nothing, it would be good if he could find something.

Bang!

“Kuooo!”

The elephant kaijin shouted as an explosion occurred in its right arm.

The explosion itself wasn’t that big. At least not compared to when the kaijin exploded after we captured it last time. In fact, this time it didn’t completely blow off the armor.

It was probably thanks to Iris and Dalia delivering consecutive strikes to the shoulder.

With less energy, the barrier itself would have thinned too.

And seeing that, my circuit stabilized again. And in response, it affected the coordination circuits worn by the kaijin.

“…”

The thought that we can win continues to affect me.

Without the circuit providing power, the kaijin had to fight with stiff suit joints as if they were in “storage,” taking hits they could have dodged—

Slash.

When all the circuits were broken by Hayun’s sword, the kaijin collapsed forward.

It tried to get up, trembling, but it didn’t seem easy.

“This… the police will probably come in and check?”

“We can move them to a visible place before we leave. We still have strength left.”

“…”

Looking at the confident magical girls, I was filled with anxiety.

Is this enough?

The circuit is still running, but the enemy is in a state where they’re easy to defeat. Is it okay to leave it like this?

I know it’s a good situation. But at the same time, this is the first time I’ve experienced such a situation.

I was encountering the word “leisure” after too long.

Is this alone enough?

No, if that’s the case, maybe I didn’t need to exist from the beginning—

“Jieun.”

Hayun called me, tapping my shoulder.

“You did well.”

“…”

Did I do well?

I still don’t know.

“We have more leeway than expected.”

Iris still spoke in a cautious voice, but it wasn’t as sharp as when she was fighting.

“Then, shall we look around a bit? Even though they say they’ve cleared everything out, it was still Noir Corporation’s central research facility.”

Saying that, everyone scattered.

I was the only one standing there blankly, not knowing what to do.

“Jieun, let’s go.”

Only after hearing Hayun call from a few steps ahead did I quickly follow her.